


Through Thick and Thin

by RainyTazmily



Category: Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound, Mother 3, Super Smash Brothers
Genre: A shitpost!fic?, Coming-of-age, Crack!Pairing, M/M, Rating May Change, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Suggestive Themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2019-06-28 12:26:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 245,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15707208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainyTazmily/pseuds/RainyTazmily
Summary: As Ness struggles to wrestle back strange feelings for his best friend, Lucas wonders over the long-term holes in his own memory. Celebrity life as a Smasher has never been so difficult. Earthbound/Mother3 Time Paradox AU. Teenage Nesscas AU.  *[NOTE 6/23/19]: Cleaning up prose in previous chapters*





	1. The Boy with the Quiet Voice

**Author's Note:**

> Someone wanted me to crosspost this fic to Archive of Our Own for easier access... Request granted :)  
> Author's Notes here may be modified from the original in Fanfiction to conserve space.
> 
> BEFORE YOU READ ON:
> 
> \- Ness is gay(?)  
> \- There is crude language  
> \- Tis a slowburn coming-of-age romance  
> \- Dark elements and real world problems  
> \- Ness and Lucas are aged up to their late teens (Ness: 17, Lucas: 16)  
> \- There will be a consistent POV switch (i.e. Ness in Chapter 1, Lucas in chapter 2, etc.)  
> \- This is a Work In Progress. I like to re-tailor inconsistencies until I'm satisfied with my own quality.
> 
> Have fun. :^)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ness speaks.

_**UPDATE 12/26/18** **: Merry Late Christmas! I got similar questions from many readers, so I shortened a tag below to clarify everything :D**_

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**This fic is rated T.**

**This fic is self-aware and contains (silly) parody.**

**This fic hints at suggestive themes, but will not contain smut.**

**Thank you always for your support :)**

* * *

_**~Prologue~** _

I first met Lucas in Twinkle Elementary.

Back then Lucas was the kid who sat in the corner. He always came to class late. He wore the same faded shirt and jeans. He never carried any lunch money on him to school. The rest of the class shied away from him. Even the teacher seemed to hate him.

 _Troublemaker_ , she called him.

He was a strange kid. Then again, so was I. Except circumstances had been favorable for me. I stood out, but in a good way - a chatty, boisterous way that somehow helped me blend into the crowd of my peers.

Lucas, not so much. He didn't socialize. He didn't make friends. He didn't fit in. What was more puzzling, he simply didn't try. Almost as if he gave no shits about school or anyone in it. That singled him out to bullies who might have overlooked him.

They made fun of his freckled face. They made fun of his second-hand clothes.

Lucas never seemed to mind the rude name-calling, but I remember wondering if he felt lonely.

My query was answered when some bullies had gone out of their way to rough him up. I entered the school bathroom one day to see him crying over the sink with a split lip and bruised eye. His crying didn't sound like a normal kid crying. It sounded like an awful, quiet hiccuping that wouldn't stop, the kind that sounded like he was coughing his heart up and tearing his lungs to shreds.

I couldn't unsee that image.

Each time I saw him afterwards threw me into a guilt trip, one of those terrible,  _stomach-twisting_  guilt trips, and I'd like to have thought that deep down, my younger self felt bad for him. But because I was an idiot and a coward who was afraid of losing my popular class reputation, I did nothing. I was happy with the way things were, and I wanted it to stay that way.

One rainy day, my mom was picking me up from school, and I happened to catch sight of him by the flower garden. He was breathing into a sunflower, and for the first time I had seen him, he was smiling.

It was then I made a resolve.

I wanted to make this boy happy.

I began to sit next to him in class. I begged my mom to pick him up on our way to Twinkle Elementary, because he'd make the trip by foot. I'd share with him the tuna sandwiches that my mom packed me for lunch, because I never saw him eat. At first, Lucas ignored me and tried to avoid me whenever he could, but after countless persistence, little by little, he began to lower his guard.

He was curious, I could tell. Curious that someone else had spoken to him, and even more curious about what my words entailed. He never interrupted me, never spoke up, never said a peep, but I quickly realized that he never talked because he liked to listen. He was a good listener, and he liked to listen to me speak.

But I wanted to hear him talk. I wanted to listen to what he had to say.

And after about a month, the quiet boy spoke back to me.

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter One**_ ~

_**The Boy with the Quiet Voice** _

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Let's be real.

Chances are, you stumbled into this story because you like brawl. Or because you like shipping. Or hell, because you are an extremely unlucky soul who ended up on the wrong page at the wrong time. Whatever the reason, I won't hold it against you. Emergency exit's on the left. So turn back. Backclick now before things get gay!

Haha, I kid. Just a little.

My name is Ness. Or so you've heard, the kid who summons lightning by screaming  _Pecan butter._ I forever sound like a prepubescent teen suffering from a bad case of sinus infection, but I swear it's just my mike acting up on stage. For those of you who don't know me, I'll keep it simple: I'm the face near the left hand corner of the Sm4sh roster. The one who looks like he's perpetually stuck in pre-K - yeah, that's me. Master Hand seriously needs to update our photos.

Anyways, warm greetings and platitude aside, welcome to Smash City. I live here. Currently. Brawling is my life. It's what I do best as a video game celebrity.

Am I famous?

That's one way to put it.

 _ **Earthbound**  _isn't quite as cracked up as some of the other video game bigshots, but it does a solid job of summing up the traumatic adventure of my eleven-year-old self. It's been over five years since I last fought an alien creepypasta, but memories tend to stick pretty well when you have to fend off zombies or run the bajeezus away from exploding trees.

But I'd rather take on a thousand exploding trees if it meant possible escape from the horrible predicament I'm stuck in. A horrible predicament called  _Feelings_  and  _Other Squeamish Stuff_.

Trust me, it's a long story.

I guess I'll start from the beginning.

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~oO0Oo~

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My nerves stop jittering.

This is the sudden moment of clarity that calms the terror-induced twitching in my fingers and the weakness in my knees halfway through a brawl. It's a moment not born from a surge of adrenaline or relief, but rather, a moment born from calm acceptance. That I can fool myself into thinking that everything is going to be okay. That this I can do. That this I  _know_  I could do. That even if I majorly fuck shit up, it'll still be all right, because by the end of the day, I can still fix it, or fix whatever is left of it. In my mind, the battle is never over until it's over. Perhaps it's something most people would call stupidity, but I prefer to think of it as willpower.

Emitting a battle cry, I swing my bat in an overhanded strike.

Nothing can beat the thrill of a good brawl. The sweat glancing off my skin. The weightlessness of my body twisting in midair. Fox blurs to my right, but I close my eyes with an easy grin. Doesn't matter if he's good. We're better.

A plume of hot fire blasts an inch away from my nose.

Uttering a curse, Fox weaves underneath the flames in an air dodge, but a few seconds is all I need to buy myself a nice recovery. My back arches forward into a crouch, and dust puffs around my fingers when my tennis shoes sink into the stage.

**_Safe!_ **

The crowd roars our names in canned applause, but that isn't important. Nothing is, except for the lanky, too-tall blond at my side.

Spitting out dust, I push myself back onto my feet. "Well hey, if it isn't  _You-barbecued-my-face."_

Lucas wipes the sweat off his forehead. "Almost. Not quite."

I want to point out,  _close enough_ , but now isn't the time to bitch and complain.  _Almost_  is indeed  _not quite,_  and Lucas is the perfect shield mate. I can't imagine anyone else who can look out for me better than he does.

I drop the 'tude. "You have no idea how much I missed your stupid face," I say, fondly socking him in the arm. "Falco...?"

"History."

"I knew it! Saw you spike him down like-" I throw a swift punch.  _"-wham_  and  _wallawallabing-"_

"Watch out," Lucas suddenly says, swiping his hand in front of me. A humming ball the size of a surfboard absorbs the hit, and I catch a glimpse of Lucas's eyes blazing blue with psychic power. PSI Magnet. He's saved my hide yet again.

I acknowledge the save by going on the offense. "Looks like we've got a rogue Fox. You wanna return the favor, or should I?"

As Lucas's PK Magnet shatters into a flurry of blue sparks, a telepathic voice prods my mind.  _Go for it_ , he says.

Green light. Drawing back my bat, I kick off the ground to deliver a few blows in rapid succession. Fox blocks each one, then retaliates with a combo. He misses the third strike just as I spiral away.

"You're too floaty," Fox snaps.

"Not my fault you're a fast-faller," I cheerfully toss back before nailing him right on his sweet spot.

_**Crack!** _

Too late Fox realizes the set up. Below him, Lucas raises his arms, releasing all of his pent-up energy. The powerful Upsmash blows Fox out of the water.

Knock out. The crowd goes ballistic.

I stagger back onto my feet. A last glowing wave of hexagons lights up Lucas's face, and catching my eye, he breaks into a satisfied grin.

The warm jittery feeling returns. Giddy and lightheaded, I stammer out a few words, then feeling a hot flush in my cheeks, cover my face with the brim of my cap.

Game.

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~oO0Oo~

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"Master Hand's doing a random room inspection!"

"Shit, outta my way-"

"Hide the crack!"

"Cloud, ya fucka, where are my boxing gloves?"

This is Smash Mansion. It's nice and noisy.

Just the way I like it.

Hiding a grin, I duck inside my apartment for a shower.

It's been two days after our epic team battle against Fox, and practice season's coming to an end. It's the same old shit every time. Practice like hell for five months. Ace the Championships on the sixth.

SMASH hosts two major tournaments a year. They bring up as much international hype as the Olympics: The  _Summer Championships_  solidify the solo ranks for the upcoming year, while the  _Winter Championships_  challenge team match-ups. Doing well in either promises special benefits and monetary awards.

As of now, it's PREVIEW week. The month before the Winter Championships.

It's utter chaos. Smashers are scrambling to squeeze in a brawl or two before the start of the season. Anybody I speak to is in a mad dash. Tension is high, temper is short, and everyone wants to win.

So it's pretty much like any other day aside from the fact that

(a) I may or may not have a crush on someone.

(b) this someone may or may not be my best friend.

and

(c) I have been crushing on him since forever.

Okay, you got me. A year isn't exactly forever, but I'm not used to taking my time with, well, anything. This newfound patience-is-key Ness isn't the real me. I'm restless. I do things on the go.

So it's a little sad that my life has degraded into a chick-flick.

I towel-dry my hair in the bathroom. Aaand Lucas is still sleeping. Usually, I'd leave him be, but now is not the time to indulge him. I decide to play alarm clock and rouse him awake. "Hey, buddy. Wake up."

The blond lump stirs. "Nod now, Bess."

"Dude, you have a practice match soon-"

"Agghdfibe."

"Huh?"

"At five. I set an alarm on my phone," Lucas mumbles, flumping over onto his side. "Leabee adone, Bess."

"But you sleep like the fucking dead," I whine. When this doesn't deign a response, I flop onto his back. He still smells like the cologne from his makeover yesterday. Sunflowers _._  A goofy smile spreads across my face before I shake it off, because I am perfectly content to lie down next to him and take a nap, but no, I  _can't_  do that because I'm supposed to be waking this idiot up in time for his brawl.

"Get up, Lucas," I groan, rolling off his back. "You're gonna miss your match. Seriously, it's like two in the afternoon. Your stylists need to practice dying your hair-"

"I can biss it-"

"Nuh-uh! Oh no, you told me you didn't want to miss this match and to wake you up with whatever means necessa- Lucas! Wakey wakey-" I lightly slap the side of his face. "Oi. Git up.  _Git-_  Look, I know practice matches aren't aired on TV, but it's Mewtwo, damn it! Mewtwo. You know, giant psychic floating cat that'll disembowel anyone who skimps out of his matches?"

"Mmrrg... five more minutes."

He isn't going to get out of bed. And no, I don't just think so.

I  _know_  so.

"Lucas," I whine.

With an incoherent groan, Lucas pulls the covers over his head. I catch the irritable tone in his voice and laugh. Lucas isn't a morning person. I race across the room, only stopping to swipe whatever's left of my leftover bagel on the dinner table, _"Practice-match-in-five-no-time-to-change-I'm-taking-your-shirt-bye!"_

Groggy with his tousled bed-head, Lucas stretches his arms with a yawn. "Good luck, bye."

Now I  _really_  have no time to waste. Grinning like a moron, I shut the apartment door and fly down the stairs.

When I slow to a halt, I pat down Lucas's shirt and fondly trace the familiar red-and-yellow stripes on the fabric. The old shirt's long, slightly snug around my shoulders, but that's only because Lucas is taller and skinnier than me.

Rooming together means that I'm free to mooch off of Lucas's closet. Well, to an extent. While Lucas won't mind sharing, I know not to push it... though I probably abuse the privilege.

Nah. I definitely do.

We've borrowed each other's clothes since third grade. Partly because Lucas wore around the same size as me back then, and partly because I'd forced him to take some of my older clothes. He'd cooked up some cock-and-bull story about not taking charity, but I wasn't going to hear any of it. Winter was chilly. Lucas would've frozen into a living Popsicle if he only wore his t-shirt and shorts to school. At first, Lucas refused to wear the extra clothes, but when he caught mild hypothermia during PE, his face blue and teeth chattering outside in the soccer field, I started stuffing extra shirts into my bag in case the idiot decided to ignore me again.

Wisely, he quelled all protests.

The first time I saw him quietly bundled up in a woolen scarf and one of my second-hand coats, I'd thrown a happy fit. I'd slung an arm around Lucas's shoulders and proudly proclaimed him as my long-lost twin brother.

Lucas had broken down and hiccuped quiet tears into his scarf.

...I need to think of happier memories.

A crackle of static. Sounds like Master Hand's on the speakers. **"Rehearsal Match... for Ganondorf, Ike, Ness, Wolf. Players, head over to the prep stations. Your match will begin in three hours. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is NOT a drill."**

Rehearsal? Practice match? Ha, same thing. Unaired. Totally no pressure.

Oh fuck, this is a lot of pressure.

Bending over to catch my breath in the first floor lobby, I grip the edge of my borrowed shirt. It calms me down, almost as if Lucas was there beside me, and while it's only a brief comfort at best, it's still much-needed.

Suddenly, I wish that Lucas didn't have his stupid brawl scheduled right around mine.

"Hey, buddy," I plead under my breath as if he can hear me. Making my way to the waiting lobby of glass elevators, I grip his shirt tighter like a lucky charm. "Please lend me some of your chill. I could  _really_  use it."

All three of my challengers are already here. Not that I would've missed them. They tower over me in a stacked impersonation of the Great Wall of China, and shit, the nerves are back. They're threatening to reappear on the floor with the rest of my half-digested bagel.

Picking his teeth with his claws, Wolf tosses a leer in my direction. "Hey, kid. You're looking a bit green today."

"Never been better," I manage to say before my stomach lurches again in protest.

Wolf's leer intensifies. "Maybe you should sit this one out. You don't look too  _okay._ " Howling with laughter at his own joke, Wolf slaps a high-five with a cackling Ganondorf and saunters past me into the glass elevator. Assholes. The whole bunch of them are.

To my surprise, Ike passes me a glass of water. The action's more so out of fear than pity, I think, because of the time I accidentally puked on his precious Ragnell last May.

"Better out than in," he states.

"Thanks," I croak.

With a curt nod, he hoists Ragnell over his bulging bicep and squeezes himself into an empty glass elevator. The platform drops in a  _sweee_  of air, and Ike vanishes as quickly as he'd arrived. Taking two generous gulps of water, I wipe my lips on my sleeve, set the glass aside, and take the remaining elevator.

All practice matches are unaired -  _thank Palutena_  - but as a member of the Original Twelve, a huge deal hinges on my performance. Master Hand personally keeps track of my winning streak. Unfortunately, this is a problem, because I'm exactly what people call a  _gut-wrecker_. The excitement I hold before any match combined with the rising anxiety doesn't do wonders for my stomach, and for the love of everything sacred, it can attest. Hell,  _Lucas_  can attest. I like brawling, I really do, but the anticipation and the wait and the worry manifest into one giant, twisted knot of nerves that stresses me out and forces me to feel all restless and jittery inside. A good and bad kind of jittery. The same kind of jittery I feel whenever Lucas is nearby-

Nope. Not starting that now.

Trying to shake off the jittery feeling, I march into the prep room for my makeover.

Luckily, my brawl - I mean, demolition _-_  doesn't last long. On one hand, it's a solid victory.

On the other hand, it doesn't feel like one. I can still feel my whole body tingle all over from phantom bruises.

I don't complain. The brawls could easily be a lot worse. As head honcho, Master Hand makes sure that none of us get seriously injured. His quick-and-easy solution? No pain. No pain, no gain,  _period,_  during a brawl. Think of a sport... like fencing and wrestling on the moon. Yeah. That means that Ganondorf can  _warlock punch_  me to oblivion as many times as he likes, and I wouldn't feel a damn thing except for a wounded ego and a terrible sense of loss.

But two other things  _do_  stay on stage: (1) Pressure Control and (2) Recoil. This means that the heavier you punch, the greater the damage points you rack. And while I'm on neither end of the lightweight-heavyweight scale, I still suffer from my fair share of recoil. A huge knocker from someone as massive as Ganondorf can send me flying to Jupiter.

So you can imagine that my brawl was brutal.

Stumbling out of my free-for-all feeling like an eighteen wheeler consistently rammed itself into my body  _(courtesy of Ganondork),_  I give into the demands of my noisy stomach, because holy shit I'm so hungry that I could inhale five burritos and still have space for a triple-decker cake.

When it comes to food, I have one simple rule. Eat it. Eat all of it.

It's a force of habit. My mom taught me to clear everything on my plate. There's nothing more she hates than throwing away perfectly good food.

"You aren't going anywhere until you finish your plate," she'd say.

So naturally, I eat everything on my plate.

I miserably glance down at the too-tight shirt stretching over my waist. It's not that I'm fat -  _Master Hand would have my hide if I went out of shape during the tourney -_  but working out has only made me grow taller... sideways. I knew it. I shouldn't have finished that tub of ice cream last night.

Then the double doors to the meal hall open, and out fly all of my fucking regrets. Food is food. Food is good. This is all I need to know.

I catch a delicious whiff of sweet corn and beef. Today's leftovers from Taco Tuesday, but the term  _leftovers_  doesn't do this feast justice. A perfect tureen of tomato bisque simmers in the center of the soup aisle. Basil leaves - one of my mom's favorite herbs - float on its rippling surface. In the salad bar, fresh corn glistens under a warm light, and by the meat-lovers table, roasted beef sizzles over a hot stone plate. My first instinct is to scarf down everything in sight, but somehow, I manage to withhold enough self-control to pile everything onto a plate. When I stuff my plate up like the Eiffel Tower, my eyes wander around for a familiar face because a meal buddy would be nice, and - FALCON YES! - I spot a telltale cowlick by one of the lone tables in the corner.

Believe me,  _Lucas_  and  _easy-to-find_  are never in the same sentence. Seriously, you'd think with all that ridiculous hair, Lucas would stand out like a sore thumb, but he has a scary talent of disappearing underneath my nose.

So I do what I normally do when I see a friend.

I wave.

Lucas relaxes. I know he's just as happy to see me, because his eyes lift up ever-so-slightly.

I slam down into a free seat with more force than is called for. "Did you get to your match on time?!"

"Yeah. Thanks to you."

"Dun mangcho eet," I say, already cramming my mouth with food.

Lucas takes one look at my sweat-dripping face, then groans. "I can't believe you stole my favorite shirt," he says, and I grin because hey, all's fair in love and war. If I have to guess, he's in a  _meh_  mood because today is emo day, meaning that his usual blond swirl has been dyed into a stylish gray.

Lucas isn't too fond of the color gray. It's a simple truth, but it holds a shit ton of weight. Aside from books  _(nerd)_ , puppies  _(I approve)_ , and videogames  _(fuck yeah)_ , Lucas doesn't seem fond of much else. It's simply the kind of person he is _._  He neither loves nor hates things. He's your classic neutral guy.  _Like_  and  _dislike_  are strong verbs in Lucas's vocabulary.

But good god, can we take one fucking moment to admire his gray highlights and dope shirt? Seriously. Instant like. Fave. Ten out of ten. Whatever people say on Facebook or Instagram these days.

He looks good. Really good.

"You're pretty badass," I blurt out instead.

And - sweet Jesus - my heart skips right over London Bridge because the corner of Lucas's lips have twitched into a ghost of a smile. "Says you. You were pretty badass yourself."

I almost topple over in stunned shock. "You  _saw_  my match?"

"The replay in the lobby."

"Oh g-geez, fuck," I stammer, even though hell yeah, we'd sit in to watch practice matches and give each other constructive feedback, but to hear him actually  _confirm_  it makes me feel all the more self-conscious about my own performance. Knowing my rep for bad pre-game nerves, Lucas sits in for some of my games. I'm too relieved to be embarrassed, but at the same time, I can't imagine Lucas ever needing something as lame as  _moral support_. I swallow down the lump in my throat. "The punish was real. Ganondorf wrecked my first two stocks when I screwed up my grab-"

"It was a good match."

Forget  _skip._  My heart does one of those goddamn loop-the-loops in my chest, and I forget to how to breathe. Lucas doesn't sugarcoat shit, so him saying  _good match_  basically translates to  _you were fucking awesome._

"Your match was good too," I say faintly.

"Thanks." Lucas hunches himself back over the cafeteria table, and I bite my lip. Lucas always deflects my compliments in one way or another. No shit he doesn't believe me.

Hot damn _really_ ,  _you are so badass,_  I want to say, I want him to fucking  _believe,_  but my jaw stays shut, because my heart's thudding a million miles an hour that I'm afraid it'll jump out of my mouth and get a speeding ticket.

Lucas is impartial to fashion trends, and I'm no fashionista, but it's hard to miss how easily his new clothes now compliment his tall, lanky figure. Like how his super goth black-and-gray striped shirt fits him just right. Or how his skinny jeans don't ride up his hips and instead hug his lean, slender legs.

I've never given much thought about my own looks, but I like to think that I'm average at best. Maybe a five or six on the attractive scale. Black hair's as common as weeds, and my violet eyes are as freaky as hell. No explanation needed. Dammit, I'm ugly and proud of it.

But Lucas looks so good that it hurts. And I'm glad. Lucas needed a wardrobe change after his growth spurt, and his new Sm4sh outfits this year are cool.

And his shoes?

Fucking hell, they're sweet.

"You should wear gray more," I say, shamelessly ogling his new pair of Air Jordans.

Noticing the object of my mental pining, Lucas eats a messy spoonful of corn. "You have better shoes," he says, covering his mouth while chewing. "My Masked Man outfit's a little tight."

Like I haven't noticed.

Still, he's got a point. "Skinny jeans are the worst. I can barely fit in them, but they fit you okay-"

"They're all right."

My grin widens. "All right? Don't trash talk. I don't think I could EVER pull them off-"

Lucas waves my words away. "Take them whenever. The pants won't be missed."

I perk up. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"God, Lucas, you're a lifesaver. I'm almost out of fresh clothes," I say fervently, though I doubt I can shake his pants on, especially when he wears size SLIMMEST on Theory. Trying on Lucas's pants would be like squeezing my junk into a Chinese finger trap.

Lucas slides his tray to the side to give me space. "You should do your laundry."

"God, I fucking hate laundry-"

"You are  _not_  taking another one of my shirts."

"Just one more day?" I whine. "Please? I promise I'll do my laundry, I've just been really busy this week-"

"Hard no. The next time you pull that stunt, Master Hand's going to chew us out again," he points out, and remembering what happened last time, I roll my eyes.

"We only confused the crowd cuz we were in the same match-"

"Still, better safe than sorry," Lucas says, and I take that as my cue to mess up his hair. He swats my hand aside, and as terrible as it sounds, I cackle, getting a kick out of his flustered expression. Few things test Lucas's patience, and sloppiness is one of them. Neatfreak.

But that's one thing I like about him.

One of many.

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~oO0Oo~

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I won't lie. Liking Lucas keeps me busy.

But liking Lucas also keeps me awake.

When we started BRAWL, sharing a single sounded like an ingenious plan. It saved us money, and we knew each other well enough to be comfortable with the arrangement. So I was like,  _the_   _heck, why not?_

Well, past me, you're officially a dumbass. And I hate you.

Yet as hard as I try to tell myself otherwise, I'm convinced that Lucas rooming with me isn't necessarily a bad thing. No, it's good. Very good.

Shut up, self.

Miserably, I roll over on my side. I'm having trouble falling asleep again. Half the time, my brain forces me to undergo  _mental_ _shut down_  and collapse into bed snoring like a foghorn. The other half of the time, I lie awake, tracing the ceiling with my eyes and desperately trying to ignore the soft breathing that would escape from the other bed.

Lucas isn't a bad roommate. He's the best, actually, and I know for certain. Living with Popo during Melee  _sucked,_  but that's a story for another time.

Lucas is diligent to the last  _T_. He's the levelheaded voice-of-reason whenever I'm about to do something stupid like piss Samus off, yet he knows when to loosen up and have fun. You'd think that fifty fighters beating the living shit out of each other for entertainment would get old pretty quick, but really, in the midst of all, I've gotten fond of this crazy life.

But nothing can ever be that easy in SMASH Mansion.

I start to sweat. It's getting stuffy in here, so I kick my baseball-emblazoned covers off the bed. The rush of vindictive satisfaction I feel at the poofy  _fwump_  that follows is all too real.

In the corner of my eyes, Lucas stirs.

"Sorry," I whisper.

With barely a sigh of breath, he turns over on his side.

I blink and squint into the darkness. As far as I can tell, I haven't woken him up. Lucas is still sleeping. Probably. I can never tell. Fucking hell, everything about Lucas is quiet. There's something mesmerizing about the sincere way he talks, the way his eyes light up whenever he's happy, the way the corners of his lips curve upwards in a rare smile-

I stuff my face into my pillow. For the past year, I realized that I wanted to do more things with Lucas. I wanted to talk to him longer. I... wanted to hold his hand. Little things. Things that best friends didn't do. I wanted to make him smile, I wanted to make him laugh, I wanted to pull him down and kiss him until he's flushed and breathless all over-

God. Fucking. Dammit.

Frustrated, I punch my pillow. The mortification starts sinking in soon after, and I feel so dirty and disgusted at myself for thinking about Lucas in that way. Like, what the hell. It's bad enough that I have this hugeass crush on him, and now my mind wanted to violate his privacy with my nasty perv thoughts. My face burning like a flame, I try to blank out any thought of Lucas from my head.

Of course,  _trying_   _not to think about Lucas_  is pretty much the same thing as  _thinking about him_.

When I wake up the next morning, groggy and disoriented from a nightmare, Lucas isn't there. His bed's already made - the only trace of his absence. Strange and stranger. Lucas rises later than me. He's a guy who likes his beauty sleep. And by  _likes_ , I meant  _needs_. Sacrificing sleep is like committing one of the _Seven Sins_  in Lucas's book.

With a groan of complaint, I turn over to check my watch.

It's noon. On a Sunday.

Breakfast's about to end in an hour.

Goddammit, why did I sleep in today? Swiping the last T-shirt off my rack (mental note: do laundry this week), I scramble for the washroom, and after a whirlwind of clothes and doors, I'm diving to the cafeteria. Just as I waltz in, a quick glance of the meal hall tells me that my friends are all present and accounted for. They've all gotten up before me. On a weekend too, no less. Overachievers.

A familiar voice wafts from one of the tables. "-told Link that I could take him on in my sleep, but he laughed in my face."

"Well, I would too."

"I'll get him next time," Toon says stubbornly, stabbing his pancakes. "My sneak attack will prevail."

Behold Toon: hugeass fanboy of his older counterpart, avid photographer, and full-time perfectionist wrapped up in one tiny fourteen-year-old kid. I crack a smile at his uptight behavior. Despite my late morning start, I can rely on Toon's predictability to set my ass straight in the darkest of days.

Catching my eye from the table, Popo breaks into a wide grin. BRO CODE activate. The two of us raise our hands up into the air like a pair of morons.

"Ayy, wassup, BRO?" Popo crows.

"BRO," I say, sitting down and giving him my best  _bro-worthy_  fist-bump.

Popo pretends to wipe away a tear from his eye. "Manly love."

"You two literally saw each other yesterday," Toon points out.

"Don't be such a killjoy, Toon-"

"I'm not a killjoy!"

Right. This kid's so uptight that a vacuum seal would be jealous. For crying out loud, Toon desperately needs some fun in his life.

So like the fuckass I am, I tug his hat off _._

"Hey!" Toon scrambles over the table for his hat, but I dart out of his way with a laugh. Messing with Toon is too easy. I mean, give this guy a medal - he fluffs himself up if I ever did anything as much as  _poke_  him.

But I guess I dragged out the game for too long, because Toon's pointed ears have flattened themselves against the sides of his head like an agitated cat. I take pity on his upset state and return the hat. "Here."

Toon snatches his hat away. "For once, can you act your age?" he hisses.

"Only if you loosen up," I say cheerfully.

Chewing on my response like a sour lemon, Toon draws himself up, trying to look dignified before patting down the wrinkles in his ruffled hat. From across the table, Red gives me a deadpan stare.

It's hard to believe that this kid is the same age as the green dork beside him.

"Morning," I try.

Red ignores me.

With a frown, I wave my hand in greeting. "Hey."

Red looks up. "Hi," he finally speaks up.

Red and I had a... falling out of sorts. Things had been all right between us until last year. I think. Maybe? It's difficult to say. Lucas and Red are both quiet people, but they're quiet in different ways. If Lucas turns invisible in a crowd, then Red's the opposite. He carries this  _heavy_ _silence_  around with him wherever he goes. Everyone can feel it. It sticks to Red like the Grim Reaper.

I don't know what to make of Red. He gets along with Lucas pretty well - correction:  _really, really well_ \- but for a guy who barely speaks ten words a sentence, Red's difficult for me to approach. Something about his sharp perception makes me feel uncomfortable about talking to him. It's almost as if he can see right through me. Almost as if he's judging me for what I don't say.

Almost as if he knows how I feel about my best friend.

As if reading my mind, Red gives me an innocent blink. We only bump into each other often because we share a mutual best friend. That aside, something about those unforgiving dark eyes tells me that Red isn't a nice foe to cross.

I shudder and turn back around. "Where's-"

"Hey."

I can recognize that striped shirt anywhere.

Balancing a full stack of omelets on his plate, Lucas slides into a seat across from me - vaguely, I remember that it's his favorite food. Mustering up my courage, I look into his face. A strand of golden hair has escaped from the edge of his fringe, almost begging me to tuck it behind his ear, but I resist the urge. Lucas likes his space. And something about Red's curious eyes  _boring_  into my skull tells me that I shouldn't give any more away than I have.

Lucas drowns his omelet in ketchup. "I didn't wake you, sorry. You looked pretty tired so I let you sleep in."

"Good call," I mumble, averting my eyes.

When Lucas gives me a strange look, I know that I've dun fucked up.  _Please, please, please don't ask-_

"Did something happen."

There he goes again with his classic deadpan. It's interesting how Lucas makes every question sound like a statement without trying. Interesting... but not at all helpful for my situation right now.

I give a nervous laugh and duck my head under his scrutiny. "Aha... About that-"

The cafeteria doors burst open with a deafening roar.  _ **"NESS!"**_

Everyone in my table jolts away in alarm. Because precisely a second later, I feel a blast of hot air down my neck.

"Good morning to you too," I say, irritated.

All decked out in his spiky, five-hundred pound glory, a furious King of the Koopas is no laughing matter. Bowser looks ready to tear me limb from limb, and I wonder why - oh, right. I pushed his son out of the way because he was blocking the cafeteria. Stupid git shouldn't have tried to trip me.

Bowser hoists me up by the collar of my shirt. "Apologize!" he snarls.

 _Ness._  Lucas sounds just as tense. Ah right. Telepathy.  _You should apologize._

_But-_

_Now._

As much as I want to argue, I know that Lucas is right. Bowser's no joke. He holds a nasty grudge and isn't afraid of pulverizing anyone in his way. Apologizing's the easy way out. The smart way out.

It doesn't mean that I have to feel good about it though.

...but I'll take one for the team.

I take a deep breath. "I'm sorry I pushed Bowser Junior over."

Smoke stings my eyes. Bowser's eyebrows scrunch together in a thick, bushy scowl. "Not to me _._  Apologize to my  _son._ _"_

Again?! Like hell I'm apologizing again!

Sparks fly out of my fingers. "You want a fight? Bring it, loser!"

Lucas face-palms himself.

Another deafening roar blasts the hair out of my face. Fire shoots out of Bowser's nostrils, and purple-faced in anger, he raises a gnarly fist. "Why, you squeaky little punk-!"

"That's enough. Put him down," Zelda says sharply, standing in between us with her delicate gloved hands extended. Her fingers burn with Dins fire, and Link has stepped by her side, both hands on his sword in case things go dirty.

Bowser glowers down at her. "Stay out of this, princess. This is none of your business-"

"You're disrupting the peace, Bowser." With a scrape of metal, Link unsheathes his sword a slight fraction in warning. "There'll be no fighting outside of matches."

Bowser eyes the sword in contemplation. I can almost see the wheels turning in his head. Bowser's a tank, but Link's experienced. Taking Link down is possible, but in a matter of seconds? Not ideal. As if sensing this, Link's hand tenses on his sword.

Then Bowser snorts out smoke and reluctantly lowers me down. "This isn't over," he promises, slamming me back into my seat.

"Great. I can't wait," I spit back, straightening my baseball cap.

A bloodcurdling growl crawls out of Bowser's throat before he turns around and heads out of the cafeteria. His huge, bulky stomping shakes the entire floor and rattles the silverware before the doors slam shut. Drama king.

"Ness, what was that?" Link says sharply.

I feign ignorance. "What was what?"

"This is your second offense this month," Zelda says, her cool blue eyes flickering to mine. The hard logic behind her gaze reminds me strikingly of Lucas's, and involuntarily chastised, I shrink back into my seat. "Provoking other smashers is a serious misdemeanor. After a third offense, we'll report you to Master Hand. Please refrain from causing future trouble."

Training her snobby nose up into the air, Zelda glides past the table. Her long perfect hair trails behind her in a dignified curtain.

Quieting down, Link places a hand on my shoulder. "You know we mean well. Take a break. Call your mom."

Shame prickles my face. The worst part is, I can't get mad at him. I've known Link since N64. He's like, everyone's cooler older brother. Of course he'd think that my temper's arisen from homesickness.

As Link sheathes his sword to follow his fiance, I stare down at the cafeteria table. As much of a jerk Bowser is, it wasn't his fault. His anger is justified.

I only have myself to blame.

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~oO0Oo~

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I take Link's advice. I go straight to the phone booth to call my mom.

Okay, that's a lie. I end up calling my summer fun buddy instead.

Paula's surprised by the sudden call, but luckily, she's willing to sit down and chat it out. I can't talk to my mom - _for reasons I'll disclose later_  - so I chicken out and talk to Paula about something else on my mind.

"I'm sure it's not as bad as you make it-"

"I don't have time! I  _still_  don't know what to say, and Lucas is going to figure out... Eventually." I swallow. "Seriously, Paula, all it takes is one touch, one accidental slip-up, and he's gonna know that I-"

"Like him? Yeah, I hate to say it, but you're not exactly subtle-"

"I can  _too_  be subtle."

"Liar. I'm only hearing you over the phone, but I can tell you're pouting. You are, aren't you? You totally are."

"I am  _not!"_  I protest, even though I am  _too_  pouting and kicking myself in the shin for the dead giveaway.

"So what if he does? SO what if you're an Empath, and have trouble keeping things in? You wear your heart on your sleeve. It's nothing to be ashamed of, Ness. I'm one too," Paula says, and I squeeze my eyes shut. "What are you so afraid of?"

My mouth turns dry. "I-I dunno. Agh, I just don't want to ruin our friendship over something stupid-" The hypocrisy hits me before I notice it, and instantly, my cheeks heat up. "Oh fuck, I forgot-"

"Did WE stop being friends?"

"Nooo."

"Did you reject my friendship?"

Scandalized now.  _"No!"_

"There you go, Ness." A hint of Paula's smirk finds its way into her voice. "Like I said, you're one of the most genuine people I know. Whatever happens, Lucas seems like the kind of person who'd at least understand. Just be honest."

She's right. Honesty's the best policy, even though I'm afraid and want to lie a little longer - lie to myself that I  _don't_  have these warm fuzzy feelings for my best friend, lie to myself that I  _don't_ want to kiss him and touch him and hope to make him mine-

But lying won't get me anywhere. It certainly got my dad somewhere, but I'm not my dad.

I refuse to be like my dad.

I wince when a tangled knot of hair gets caught between my fingers.  _"Oww-"_

"Ness?"

"My bad, got distracted," I say, playing it cool and pretending that my hair's not strangling my fingers, but my throat's a traitor because it sounds so fucking  _raw._  "Paula... I really don't know what to do. I'm stuck. SOS...?"

"At this point, I'd say you have two options," Paula says fiercely, and hell do I love this assertive side of her. She's a godsend. "One, break everything to him easy. Or two, accept your unrequited feelings for him and move on."

So I either chase Lucas away or continue pining after him like a miserable sap.

...Or I can confess to him.

I think about it. It doesn't seem like the type of thing to bring up in a nice fucking conversation. Like,  _Hey, Lucas, why don't you sit on my lap so we can talk about the first thing that comes up?_

I decide that I'd rather jump off a cliff than admit that I have a fucking boner for my best friend  _to_  said best friend.

Obviously, Paula disagrees. "I can't believe that he's that oblivious. You're so  _obvious,"_  she groans.

"I am?" Anxious now, I poke myself in the hands. "But... but that's not fair! You're not even holding my hand or touching me or anything. Can you really sense my emotions from that far awa-"

 _"Yes._  I know your empathy link's been going crazy for a while, and I can feel it whenever you get upset. And you know it's not flaring up just because of your unrequited feelings," she says wearily. A sadness that isn't mine tingles through our empathy link. "Hey... I'm not pushing you to do anything, but maybe you should call home. It's been a while. Your mom misses you-"

I choke up. "I can't call my mom. You know why."

"You're avoiding her."

"No, I'm trying to-"

"You didn't even come home for Thanksgiving-"

"I'll only make things worse!"

Paula pauses. The sadness dissipates. "All I'm saying is that your mom misses you too. She's been calling me everyday asking if I've heard back from you," she says gently. "You can't keep calling me just to avoid her, Ness. There's only so much I can do."

"I know," I mumble, tugging down the brim of my hat in distress. "I'll call her later. Just not now."

"Have you tried talking to Lucas about your parents-"

"No." My heart sinks after recalling Lucas's disappointed expression at breakfast. Great, now I feel like an even bigger idiot for losing my temper over something so stupid.

But I can sort out my feelings on my own.

I exhale explosively into the receiver. "You're right. I think I'll call my mom-"

"That sounds like a plan-"

"-after I ask Master Hand for a room switch."

Paula's disbelief is evident.  _"Room switch?"_

"It's gonna be so awkward if he finds out. I mean, Lucas is my  _roommate,"_  I say, agonized. "Paula, you have to understand - I have feelings for him, and I don't want him to know, s-so-" I tug on my sweaty collar. "Maybe I should get some time apart to think things over-"

"So you're going to avoid him?  _Forever?_  I thought he was your  _best friend,"_  Paula sounds scandalized, and I bury my face into the phone booth in shame. "Ness, I don't mind you moving out or taking time to think over things, but since when did  _you_  start running away from your problems? Even if you decide not to tell Lucas about your crush, at least give him a heads up before you move out-"

"I'm sorry, shit happened," I wail. "It all sounds really, really bad, but I can get over him this time, swear! Gimme more time and space. Time and space. Promise."

As if. It's not the first time she's heard  _that_  particular excuse. Paula sighs again. "You do that then. Lemme know how it goes, aight?"

"Thanks, Paula."

"Stay safe, sweetie."

The phone clicks off.

I can do this. I'm gonna demand Master Hand for a new room. A New year, a New Ness. Squashing down my nerves, I make a beeline for the office, but an unexpected voice stops me in my tracks.

"Ness, wait up!"

hOLY FUCK speak of the Devil, I think I almost lost a life back there.

My first instinct would've been to  _propel my ass away as fast as I can,_  but Lucas has already pulled up beside me with his stupidly long legs. He mustve run all the way from the cafeteria to find me, because he's short of breath, his face flushed crimson. Watching his shirt stick to his sweaty skin, I can't help but feel my own cheeks burn, and if you don't mind, I'm keeping those thoughts to myself, thanks.

Lucas's cool blue eyes flicker to mine. For someone so straightforward, I can never tell what's on his mind. "Morning announcement about PREVIEW week. Mario wants everyone to meet at the gym in ten minutes."

"Sure thing," I say quickly, trying not to openly gawk at his face and fervently wishing my stupid feelings would just  _die die die_ , because Palutena knows I've sinned and am  _still_  sinning for my sins.

A frown mars Lucas's features, as if finally taking me in after catching his breath. "You look... stressed out."

Understatement of the century. "Yeah, but nothing more than the usual."

Lucas studies my face. He's growing concerned, and my stomach twists into knots, because ironically, more attention from Lucas is the last thing I want right now. My feelings are starting to leak into all my empathy links. It's only a matter of time before I let the truth slip completely.

"I was..." Sweat dots my forehead. Why did I start talking if I didn't know what I was gonna say? "I was... homesick. Yeah, homesick. I'm good though! I called Paula, and we talked it out."

His voice sounds carefully blank. "...Not your mom."

I wince at the question. "The line was busy."

Lucas doesn't seem convinced, but as I expected, doesn't push me. Lucas errs on the side of caution, a part of his character most people mistake for cowardice, but I like to think that it adds more insight to his character.

I rub the back of my neck. Now is the time for a well-deserved apology. "Look, Lucas, about breakfast today... I'm sorry."

This time Lucas's eyes warm up. "Shit happens. Just be careful."

His stupid strand of hair is still dangling over his forehead. I long to reach for it and tuck it in, because it's seriously starting to distract me, but I curl my fingers into a fist so that I wouldn't give into the temptation.

I can't bring myself to tell Lucas that I want to switch rooms. Or explain why. Because I really,  _really_  don't want to move out. And because I suck at lying. And because any reason I'll make up on the spot's gonna end up half-assed.

While Lucas won't ever confront me, if I move out without saying anything, then he's gonna think that he drove me away. Lucas is already so hard on himself. I don't want him to get the wrong assumption. I don't want him to get hurt.

As a best friend, I owe him that much.

I smile, even though it's killing me in the inside, and tug him along. "Hey, let's get going before Mario chews me out. He's gonna be one angry pepperoni."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Edit] Moved this timeline over here. Easier for me to reference.
> 
> *In Earthbound, Ness starts his adventure as a 13 year old. In this fic, he sets out as a 11 year old (fifth grade). The mental timeline here is as follows:  
> Third grade (9) - Meets Lucas  
> Fifth grade (11) - Goes on quest against Giygas  
> Seventh grade (12) - Attends N64  
> Eighth grade (13) - Melee  
> Ninth grade (14) - Brawl [Lucas joins Brawl, Tabuu strikes]  
> Tenth grade (15) - Sm4sh  
> Twelfth grade (17, turning 18) - Present day, still brawling


	2. The Boy with The Loud Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas asks.

_**~Prologue~** _

I was eight when I lost my twin brother.

After mom's death, Claus wanted to run away from home. He refused to let me follow him.

 _"You have to stay here,"_  he said, firmly pushing me back. " _I'm the oldest. That's why I have to go find mom."_

_"But mom's dead..."_

_"Mom's not dead. She's not! I-I'll prove it! I'll bring her back! So don't cry, Lucas. Don't cry, okay? Stay here and look after dad."_

I can still remember the feel of his hands gripping mine. The desperation in his eyes. Capable, courageous Claus was scared.

 _ **I'm sorry,**_  he said.

I can still remember the way he hugged me. The way he crushed me tightly to his chest. Like he knew that he wasn't ever coming back.

 _ **Promise you'll return?**  _I asked.

He cracked an easy smile then, and ruffled my hair.  _ **I promise.**_

Claus never returned.

I had been eight years old. Eight years old, with no mother and no brother. Eight years old, with a family that had been torn in half. Eight years old, with nothing but empty hopes and a broken promise on my ears.

I was alone.

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter Two**_ ~

_**The Boy with the Loud Voice** _

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* * *

Wild, chaotic, and unpredictable, Ness is the perfect definition of _Social Butterfly_. He appears, then disappears. One second, he's off blasting practice dummies in the training rooms, then not five minutes later, I'll spot him dorking around in the cafeteria. It's, therefore, very normal for Ness to pop in and out of my personal bubble whenever he pleased.

Summing it up in one word, Ness is _talkative._

And recently, he's been anything but.

It all started with the nervous ticks, I think. Maybe about a month ago, maybe even longer. The way Ness would cram his lunch into his mouth in one bite and dash out when I arrived. The way he'd shy over and mumble a random filler under his breath whenever we were alone together in a room. Even when we trained together, Ness constantly got distracted over the tiniest things. During the battle fray, his eyes kept wandering over in my general direction before I had to yell at him to move out of the way of an impending KO.

Dorm life had also become an eye-opener.

Ness never barged into the bathroom these days without knocking, even when it was clearly empty, and whenever he had to wake me up, he'd stopped dive-bombing me from the ceiling fan by yelling  _Geronimo!_ up the top of his lungs. Instead, he quietly sprawls over my back with his legs dangling over the side of the bed and  _stays_  there like an extra blanket until I decide to get up. Other times, he'll do all of the above in one day, then stammer out a rapid questionnaire - a  _hey how are you doing_ ,  _is everything okay,_ _I wonder what's for lunch -_ before sprinting out of the room like a wild tornado on the loose.

Ness has developed a routine.

Weirder still, it's an... odd routine. Or rather, it was odd, because his new-found quirks were so  _un-Ness-like_  that it forced me to pause and rethink his behavior.

...Was I scaring him off? Possibly so. I never thought much about it, but I guess it  _is_  freakishly weird when your roommate randomly grows a foot over the past year. Doesn't help that we're virtually polar opposites when it came to anything. Sleeping habits. Battle tactics. Socializing. Definitely socializing. Ness attracts attention. He's loud, but loud in an overly-friendly way, slinging his arm over my shoulders and happily shouting into my ears whenever he felt like it. Even that though, has been happening less and less. His cheery charm has all but evaporated into nonexistence. 

Or maybe my horrible antisocialness is starting to rub off on him.

As I mentally try to list more cons of puberty, we arrive at the gym just as the announcements start. I've always wondered why we had a  _gym,_  when we already had  _practice arenas_  and  _warm-up rooms_ , but from what Samus tells me, the auditorium's mostly here for massive decor and appearances.

On the podium, Mario tests out the new mike. "Testing, a-one, a-two-"

Catching sight of us during this nice distraction, Popo waves us over. "Yo, peeps. Join the party."

"Where's Master Hand?" Toon Link asks, tip-toeing to peek through the crowd like a lost kid looking for his mom. "I swear I saw him yesterday during room inspections-"

"Chillax, Toon. He'll come whenever he comes."

"Well, I really hope he comes quick-"

"That's what  _she_  said." Unable to hold a straight face, Popo breaks into a loud cackle, and beside me, Ness snorts at the crude joke. Poor Toon. Popo set it up from the very beginning.

"What?" Toon demands after looking at our faces. "What's so funny?"

With a dramatic sigh, Popo slings an arm around his shoulder, trapping Toon to give him a rough noogie. "Oh you poor, innocent child. Don't you worry. One day, in the far future, you'll understand-"

"And regret it," breaks in another voice.

Letting a sputtering Toon go, Popo gives a cheeky grin at his new arrival. "As congenial as always, Red."

Red rolls his eyes and glances at the podium. Restless from waiting, Ness scuffs his shoe, not in the mood to continue the conversation. Concerned, I shift my gaze to the back of Ness's head. Ness is the kind of person who can't keep things in. If I'd upset him in any way, I would've found out in no time.

As if sensing this, Ness finally meets my eyes. He forces on a grin. "Mike problems, huh? That's pretty jank, if you ask me."

There it is again. The lack of eye contact.

The mike squeals, cutting off my thoughts.

 **"Attention, Fighters,"**  Mario frowns, giving the mike a last tap. Satisfied with the test, he proceeds. **"Master Hand had to-a leave the Mansion for an urgent city council meeting. He entrusted me to-a run you through the next match-ups-"**

Seems like Ness isn't the only one tired of standing around. Looking more than ready to hogtie someone and slow-grill them in the fire pit, Bowser snorts, shooting out twin pillars of flames from his nostrils. "Hurry up, old man. We're not getting any younger standing around here."

"Yeah!" Bowser Junior cries out.

Ignoring the father-son duo in favor of upholding his duty, Mario turns off the lights, cloaking the auditorium in darkness. A spotlight flashes onto the stage.  **"Please-a listen closely. The PREVIEW matches are-a up on the projector-"**

"...And these matches are aired LIVE," Megaman guesses, but he's been through PREVIEW season before. He's only waiting for a solid confirmation.

 **"Yes, PREVIEW matches are aired LIVE."** The auditorium shakes from the collective show of groans.  **"All of-a you are v** **eterans. Y** **ou-a know the drill. It's PREVIEW week of the Winter Championships. This is the-a chance for you to show off your semester's worth of talent to the public eye."**

Ness and I share a knowing glance. We've trained together for months. Even if we don't place first, then at the very least, I have high hopes that we won't make a complete fool of ourselves.

Mario taps the mike again. **"So... ehem, instructions for PREVIEW week. The-a prep teams should tell you when to arrive before each-a match for make-up and warm-up. Moreover, we will-a be hosting the PREVIEW interviews. Do not-a forget. I will-a be coordinating with the camera crew tonight. All of you should-a check out your times."**

I grimace.

I forgot. 

The interviews.

Right in the heart of the city itself, Smash Square broadcasts LIVE interviews during the hype of PREVIEW week. Despite decent Privacy Protection Acts, I'm not ready to answer the slew of invasive questions the reporters have up their sleeves. My fanbase is so obscure that many questions are reused every year. There's only so many ways I can answer the same question without sounding like a tape recorder on repeat, and while I like to keep my answers short and simple, I risk Master Hand's ire for refusing to engage in conversation.  _Short and simple_  answers don't fly well. I have to fluff up my answers. Be relatable. Be approachable to the audience. Pour forth eloquent Shakespearean poetry on the spot like I'm giving thee mine fucking soliloquy. Somehow.

Talking on stage isn't easy.

And it doesn't get any easier.

I involuntarily glance over in time to catch an oblivious Ness in mid-yawn, and stifle a grin.

At least I won't be alone.

 **"-and finally, your PREVIEW week match-ups. Please take-a note of your scheduled opponents. Also, a last reminder to show up-a on time! After all, the-a Stylists need time to work their-a magic on you before your-a debut on stage. Thank you, all clear!"**  Mario claps his hands once, and light re-floods the auditorium.

I glance up at the blue holographic projector. Ness and I... are pitted against Villager and Red.

A sigh of relief escapes from my lips. They're fair fighters. I don't need to worry about causing potential grudges. It seems like such a small concern, but the competitive air here changes some people for the worse. Things can get ugly fast.

Evidently, Ness must have noticed, because he looks up and tosses me an excited grin. "Ha, ready to wreck over some freshmeat?"

I flash him an identical smirk. "Ready when you are."

"Watch me spam PK Fire like a filthy casual-"

"PK Spammer."

"Hold the fuck up. That title rightfully belongs to you," Ness laughs, slapping me on the back, and I smile before gracing him with an elbow in the side. A burst of happy feelings explode from our brief contact, and involuntarily, I relax. Whatever funk he was stuck in, it seems like Ness is finally getting over it.

Or so I thought.

Time stops. I catch the frozen expression on Ness's face.

Ness quickly pulls his arm away. "I f-forgot," he stammers, backing away. "Laundry detergent. Ran out of shirts."

"What-"

"See you!"

I open my mouth, but he dashes off before I can edge a word in. Feeling like I've been cheated of my voice, I close my mouth. Is doing laundry another running fad? Maybe it is. How the times change. I swore only last week, it was the viral Tide pod challenge. This week, I guess it's the  _let's-actually-use-the-laundry-detergent-right_  challenge.

Oh, the moronic things people do to gain Internet fame.

Humanity has disappointed me yet again.

"That's the fifth time he's ditched us for laundry..." Toon Link says, watching Ness retreat with the grace of a flailing seal with awed eyes. "He must  _really_  like his chores!"

"(No. I'm sure Ness just had to take care of other business)," Villager signs.

Popo raises his eyebrows suggestively.  _"Other_  business."

Everybody gives into a collective groan. Popo is the kind of person who swore that he fell in love every time he saw a new girl. He has no shame in being too open about everything... even in admitting things that shouldn't be said out loud.

I suppose that there's a strange kind of bravery in that.

"Aw, don't give me that face, you guys-" Beaming wide, Popo tugs off the hood of his parka. "A guy has to jerk off every once in a while-"

Enter the damage control.

_"Popo, are you traumatizing everyone again?"_

"I plead the fifth," Popo starts with a grin before his older twin sister drags him away by the ear. A classic hothead, Nana's temper at the worst of times could give Bowser's a run for his money.

"Come on, lazybones. If you have time to crack lewd jokes, then you have time to train with me-" Nana casts us an apologetic look, which was somewhat diminished by the headlock she had sprung on her brother. "How long did he keep you guys hangi-"

"Not long! Not long at all! A-Are you two off to train too?" Toon blurts out, blushing a furious red from Popo's lewd suggestion, and I'm not surprised if I am too.

Brightening up at Toon's suggestion, Nana swings her mallet over her shoulder. "Good call. We're about to book an eight-player practice match at Final Destination, if you guys wanna join."

Toon gratefully leaps on the opportunity. "Sure! Lucas, are you coming-?"

"I think I'll pass," I say quickly. As much as I can appreciate the pleasant prospect of a sweaty, eight-man free-for-all in a cramped arena, why should I if I can instead dwell in my own quiet corner of the training room without the background noise of hammers thudding against each other and loud  _Hyaahs!_  reverberating against the stage and deafening roars of Charizard's flamethrower ringing in my ears?

There's a difference in being alone and being lonely. Conversation and crowds can get stressful, so I tend to let other people do the talking for me - "Other people" usually meaning Ness. Not speaking up for myself is a bad habit that I have yet to break out of, but so far, I'm comfortable with Ness taking the initiative.

So when Toon looks a little too eager to wheedle me to stay for his team, Red rests a firm hand on his shoulder, startling Toon enough to close his mouth.

Saved by the bell.

Relieved, I spare Red a look of gratitude, and Red gives me a rare smile. It went without saying. We ran on the same wavelength. As much as brawling could be cathartic, with all the fighting and chaos, peace and quiet are sometimes hard to stumble upon in the Mansion.

Instead, Toon nervously pans to the swinging gymnasium doors. "Um... What about Ness?"

As if triggered, Nana's nostrils flare up in anger. "We've got to talk to him. He's acting like... like..."

"Like a girl dumped on her first date?" Popo sports helpfully.

Nana stomps her foot in an impatient fit. "Exactly! If he's not stuck in this depressed slump where he doesn't give a shit about anything, then he starts pissing people off left and right, and I just, ugh! He's been like this since the start of November. That's weeks ago.  _Weeks!"_

Toon nervously chews on his nails. "Ness stayed behind for Thanksgiving... maybe he's not feeling too good."

"Yeah, his Leave of Absence was supposed to last two weeks. He cut the vaca early," Popo agrees.

"See? Since when does Ness stay for Thanksgiving? He always goes home! And his empathy link-" Nana cuts herself off with a deep breath. "I tried to see if I could pry anything out of him, but so far, he's flat-out refused to spill. Popo, are you  _sure_  he hasn't said told you anything?"

Caught examining his nails in morbid fascination, Popo jerks his head up. "Hm? Nope. Told me to fuck right off."

Nana's expression contorts with frustration. "Not. Helping. Seriously, why is Ness acting so moody? Is this an empath thing?"

"Maybe he's on his period."

"Laundry, my ass. Let's follow him next time he ditches us. I want to see what the heck he's so busy with-"

"Follow Ness? You're not going to go anywhere, sis," Popo drawls, slamming his hammer against the floor with a pointed  _thunk_. "And I don't think you've noticed, but Ness has always been moody."

"Not to the point he's lashing out at everyone," Nana snaps, lowering her voice into a frantic whisper.

Nana has a good point. I wince, remembering Ness's encounter with Wario in the elevator. Needless to say, it did not end nicely. The elevator reeked of garlic for days.

"-shouldn't be a problem. We've got Lucas," Toon Link says hopefully, sounding as if all of his worries had evaporated into air.

Everyone turns around to stare at me.

Unnerved by the sudden attention, I blink. "Huh?"

Nana brightens up. "That's perfect!" Grabbing hold of my arms in a death grip, Nana shoots me her best  _totalitarian_   _dictator_  glare. "Lucas, we hereby command you to talk to Ness."

"About what?" I echo. I hope that none of them have noticed that I'd zoned out. "I don't follow-"

"You know," Nana flaps her hands. "About how he's feeling, what's got him down in the dumps... you're the psychic, question him!" Nana looks excited. "Why didn't we try this earlier? I mean, Ness practically tells you everything-"

I massage my sore arms. "That's not true-"

"You'd have better luck than any of us _combined_."

"He's been spazzing out around me-"

"At the very least, he won't lash out at you."

"He's been avoiding me-"

"He's been lashing out at everyone  _except_  you," Nana says carelessly, and shoves me in the back. "So stop chickening out and give it a go."

"Nana, you- I can't-" I cut off in a strangled voice. Since when was  _I_  get elected for handling emotionally-charged situations? Nana must be insane. Or plain desperate. Sending me in to clear up social disagreements is just as bad as dropping a nuke right on top of the White House. I think about the way Ness has been avoiding me. The way he'd twitch and jump and spazz out whenever I'm nearby.

Ness doesn't behave that way around other people. He's only antsy around me.

A horrible feeling resurfaces up my throat. My hands are starting to turn numb, so I stuff them into my pockets. "I'll try," I mutter.

Villager tilts his head. "(There might be a misunderstanding. Talk it out.)"

"Yeah! And while you're at it, tell him that he's a major jerk," Toon Link huffs, furiously blowing hot air through his nose. "It's not cool of him to ignore you-"

Off to the side, Popo tosses his head back in a sudden bark of laughter, and everyone turns to him in surprise. "Oh no, guys no." he chokes out, and gives me a sly grin that puts me on edge. "I don't think the problem's going to end there."

"What do you mean?" I say sharply. I flashback to Ness's terrified face. Popo knows something about... whatever is happening to Ness ... that I certainly don't.

Popo shakes his head in sympathy. "Poor kid. I'm glad I'm not in his shoes. Like bro, he's definitely stuck between a rock and a hard pla-  _ow!"_  Popo cries out when Nana pinches him in the ear again in warning. "Got it, no lenny jokes, I'll behave-"

"We'll see you later, Lucas," Nana says, glancing at the gymnasium doors a last time before returning to scowl at her brother. She's worried about Ness too. In fact, if everyone's noticed Ness's weird behavior, then my previous hunch is correct.

Ness is upset, and somehow, I'm involved.

I briefly flashback to anything that I could've said, anything that could've been a possible cause, but I come up with a blank. At this point, I have to double check that I'm not being filmed for an ad, because this clusterfuck sure seems like the perfect way to advertise my lack of social awareness.  _"Awkward teenager found new way to max repel his roommate. Scientists hate him for this one weird trick! Watch this shocking video to find out how he did it!"_

It's not magic.

It's a straight-up fact: I'm not good with people.

I jerk out of my reverie when someone gives me a pat on the shoulder. "Not your fault," Red speaks, breaking his daily word quota. He's released Squirtle from its pokeball, because the blue turtle is now nipping at the bill of his cap.

"I hope so. Thanks, Red," I say gloomily.

Giving me a nod, Red whistles once, low and short. Perking up, Squirtle jumps into his arms. With another reassuring pat on my shoulder, he lifts his hand, and we part ways.

Smash Mansion lives up to its name. Adorned with magical windows that glow and reflect off the city lights, it's easily the tallest skyscraper downtown. Even with the arena and training rooms deep underground, the Mansion itself reminds me of one of the dazzling New York hotels plastered on a glossy cover of the  _Cosmopolitan._  It's got everything the mind can imagine: Glass elevators in the lobby, recreation center and meal hall on the ground floor, library on the second, laundry rooms around every corner, and a pristine swimming pool at the penthouse that shoots up into the clouds.

Something about its surreal luxury bothers me.

The glowing buttons buzz when I press them, and the elevator trickles to a stop with a cheerful blur of ear-popping color. The dorms are suite-style and separated by gender. Girls stay on the 9th floor, guys on the 10th. The only exception is Nana and Popo - twin siblings who prefer to room together - and the Assist Trophies who claim the 11th floor.

Warm, buttery lamp light illuminates the walls. As I pass the first room  _(Room 1001)_ , the delicious aroma of ovenbaked rotisserie chicken hits my face. I hear laughter and boisterous yelling: Cloud is hanging out with Ike and his buddies again.

Arriving on the doorstep of Room 1010, I twist the knob, but it refuses to budge. I check my pockets. Sure enough, no key. I'm locked out again. I groan. Just my luck. First I can't people, and now I'm forgetting my belongings all over the place.

Thankfully, as I wait by the door a flustered mess, Ness quickly answers the door. He never leaves a friend hanging for long.

Though judging from his forehead sweating bullets, his expression looks oddly uncomfortable, as if he's stepping on a pile of red-hot coals.

Cracking the door open wider ( _barely enough space for an ant to fit through_ ), Ness nervously peeks at me. "Hi."

"Hey," I automatically respond.

Cue awkward silence.

Again, socializing is not my jam.

...I think you get the hint.

Clearing my throat to gloss over the moment, I scramble forward with a mumble of 'scuse me,' but stop in my tracks when Ness misreads my hesitation, already closing the door. Now fumbling over his mistake like a slippery football that's escaped his hands, Ness swings the door open but accidentally trips over the doorframe and hits himself with the door.

"Ow, fuck-" 

"You okay-" I start, reaching for his hand before something explodes in my ears.

I retreat, my eyes stinging from smoke just as Ness flounders around in an even greater panic. "AH SHIT," He hurries out to check on me. "Sorry-"

"Don't worry, I'm all right," I cough, waving away the smoke.

"Oh geez, why does this keep happening to me - _IT'S OKAY, NO ONE DIED_ ," Ness adds hastily when curious heads poke out of the corridor. Scrunching up their noses in distaste at the smoke, the Brawlers shut their doors with a disgruntled complaint.

Safely out of the blast zone, I warily watch Ness's fingers spark yet again of their own accord. "Did you catch a cold? Dr. Mario could prescribe you something-"

But Ness shakes it off, running over to pull me upright. "No need, no need, I can control my-  _whoops-"_  he hurriedly jumps back when he electrocutes me with his hand. "Static electricity-"

"Ness," I interrupt. "Your powers are getting out of hand. You should see Dr. Mario-"

"-But I'm not sick," Ness protests.

"You're not  _well_."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

I pointedly pause to take in his appearance. His hair sizzles upright from his electric discharge. The bottom of his heat-resistant t-shirt is slightly scorched at the edges from his PK Fire. "Because normal people don't blow up like an electric socket every day."

"... okay. You got me." Ness now glumly stares at the floor in defeat. "It's just a little spark here and there-"

"You've been exploding into flames and electrocuting anyone who touches your hands," I say matter-of-factly, and Ness flinches. Admittedly while not a sympathetic approach, I can't sugarcoat the truth. Not when his condition seems to be growing worse. "You can't help anyone if you can't help yourself."

"But I'm okay!"

I heave a frustrated sigh. "Ness..."

Caught in the act, Ness's shoulders slump over. "Lucas, I really am okay. So believe me when I tell you not to worry about it," he says quietly.

He sounds so miserable that my expression softens of its own accord. I don't have the heart to push him. This is why Nana's reasoning is flawed. Ness involuntarily tells me things on his own, and whenever I sense his discomfort, I don't push the matter.

"We should still talk. It's not that I don't believe you," I add gently when Ness stiffens up as if to shoot back a defensive retort. "Everyone wanted me to check on you right now. Believe it or not, you HAVE been acting a little out of it for a while-"

"You know I get stressed at this time of year-"

"But that's not the only thing on your mind."

"I'm doing fine. Swell. Really." Ness twitches like a dying spider. Clearly he's not fine at all. "Lucas, knock it off. Let's talk later, I'm kind of busy-"

"With what," I ask, genuinely curious.

"With stuff, okay? Now leave me alone," he snaps back, stunning me. While Ness has a short fuse, he's never taken it out on me before. This only reinforces my suspicions. Something is bothering him.

Something big.

As if instantly regretting his outburst, Ness looks at me in horror. "Shit. I didn't mean-"

On an ordinary day, I would've dropped the subject. I'm not a confrontational person, and everyone has an off-day. That said, people and emotions are a can of worms that I'm less than willing to open in the morbid fear that they'll eat me up alive.

But Ness is the opposite. He's a people person. As an empath, he's constantly bombarded by the feelings of others. He doesn't have space for his own emotions, so what he can't keep in, he keeps out.

Which then leads to him finding me and spilling the beans.

Why Ness seeks me out for emotional advice is a mystery, considering that I'm the furthest person from wise and experienced in the area, but the arrangement works out surprisingly well for both of us. Whenever someone or something ruffles up his feathers the wrong way, Ness will tag along my heels, excitedly chattering away in an indignant sort of manner - seething, venting, fuming - before trotting back to my side with a sheepish, good-natured grin ten seconds later as if nothing happened. Ness doesn't let himself wallow in self-pity. He can make anything sound funny. He takes a crack at his own misfortune, and twists even the most horrible of situations into something to laugh about. He gets over things as quickly as he gets riled up over them.

And it's nice, if not slightly comical in itself. The best part is that I don't have to do anything. All I have time to do is watch, blink, and listen before Ness would dash away, leaving me in the dust with a yell of a  _Thanks, Lucas!_

Which is why his sudden outburst gives me reason to pause.

Ness's behavior isn't improving. Whatever's been bothering him is still bothering him now, and the past month of his sudden aggression is only the icing on the cake. Whatever it is, it's making him frazzled, nervous, and stressed to the point that he's losing control of his powers.

It's time to step in.

From down the hall, another round of muffled laughter bursts out of Cloud's dorm.

I lean against the front door. "Hey. What's going on?" I say softly.

Looking deeply ashamed, Ness stares at his shoes. He won't meet my eyes. "I can't find my laundry card," he says meekly. A pathetic excuse, but Ness can't lie for his life. His feelings show up on his face like a Christmas light.

Still, I have to applaud him for trying.

"We can talk another time...," I trail off, offering him a way out, but when Ness quietly shakes his head, I take it as the cue to proceed. As gently as I can, I ease the door out of the way.

Half-empty boxes are stacked and strewn all over the living room. I shuffle to a halt. Is Ness unpacking more goodies his mom has sent him from home? Makes sense. Ness hates other people calling him a mama's boy. Though in all honesty, I think that his strong attachment to his mother is commendable. Few people call their parents on a daily basis at this time and age.

Ness stumbles into my line of vision. "I know, it's a huge mess. I'll clean it up-"

As if that's turned on a switch, Ness jumps backwards, his hand flying away. "Don't!" Ness suddenly shouts, frightened, and the words die in my throat.

Realizing his mistake too soon, Ness raises his hands up in a hasty attempt to cover himself. "Don't... come close. Because erm... I... I might be sick. Lots of germs, you know. Dun want you to catch whatever I'm getting..." He gives a forced cough, but I don't join in on the fun.

Ness isn't someone who scares easily. He's pulverized long-standing arch-nemeses, defeated an alien warlock, and taken down opponents three times his size without batting an eye.

But it's hard to miss how badly his hands are trembling. He's jittery, and it's not because of battle nerves.

This frightens me. I'm not good with people. I'm not good with feelings, or with  _understanding_  feelings for that matter, but Ness is different. Ness is my best friend. I gave him space in the hopes that it's all he needed, but now, I've come to realize that "just space" wasn't enough. There has to be something else that I can do, something else that I can do to fix whatever is upsetting him, because Ness is unhappy, and that thought is starting to make me unhappy too.

Even after taking a deep breath, Ness's voice still sounds shaky. "Ah fuck. Lucas, I know this might sound really weird, but I need to tell you something."

Concerned, I wait for him to speak, but Ness cuts himself off. He looks constipated, as if he's straining to dislodge something unpleasant out of his throat. His eyes wildly flicker up to my face in search of an unknown answer, but when he finally parts his mouth, all that emerges is a small squeak.

He's scared of me.

Hurt chokes the words back into my throat, but I force it down. Now is not the time for me to get upset. I lower my voice into an even tone. "I'm sorry I pressured you. Let's talk later."

"It's not - Lucas, wait!" Ness reaches for my arm, but I've already veered into the corridor. If Ness doesn't want to see me, then it's best to make my leave as soon as I can. Staying only imposes trouble, and I don't want to impose that burden on my best friend.

Because I'm not the solution.

I'm the problem.

I squeeze my eyes shut. Emotions are messy.  _People_  are messy. I don't know how to how to handle other people's emotional troubles, much less my own, because I simply don't deal with them. I'm no Ness. I can't go around hugging people. I can't magically make people feel better. I can't bring myself to whisper false lies and sappy  _it's okays_ , because the truth is, it's  _not_  okay, and whatever I say won't change that. I can't treat people right, I  _know_  can't treat people right, and suddenly I feel so stupid for believing that I could cheer Ness up.

Because eventually, I hurt everyone around me. My missing twin brother is a true testament to that.

Ness grabs hold of my arm. "Lucas, let me explain-"

"You aren't obligated to explain," I reassure him, because it's true. Ness owes me no obligation, and it's none of my fucking business to pry.

But Ness's grip remains firm. "I don't feel obligated to explain," Ness says, lowering his voice.

"It's okay, I was being inconsiderate-"

"Inconsiderate?" he blurts out, confused. "No, Lucas, I - gah! Okay, so I was sorting out my junk because it was getting old, and I know, it sounds like a bad excuse, but I was in a trashy mood and got all snappy at you because you started distracting me-"

"Sorry," I mumble, stuffing my hands into my pockets.

"-fuck! That's not what I meant! You  _weren't_  distracting me! I was - damn it, I'm rambling again-" Frustrated, Ness shoves a hand into the messy hair under his cap. His cheeks are turning a bright pink. "Fuck, I don't know! I've been stressed out because of my dad. We've been fighting a lot lately, a-and I wasn't ready to tell you that I-" Ness takes a shaky breath, and his grip on my wrist tightens. "Lucas, I'm sorry for treating you like shit. You don't deserve that. Honestly... everyone's been sticking their nose in and asking if I'm feeling all right because it's not all right, but you've been giving me space and it's been a big help. Really. I just have to sit down and deal with some things on my own, but it's not because of you. It's not you, okay? Don't ever think that."

But I feel worse. Ness was going through some rough patches at home, and as a friend, I didn't see that. I'd doubted Ness and jumped to the worst possible conclusion. Some friend I am.

Shame prickles the back of my neck, so I avert my eyes.

As if knowing how to dissipate the awkward tension, Ness bites down on his bottom lip. "I could use a hand in unpacking," he says hesitantly, his eyes trailing up to my face to ask an unspoken question.

Unpacking. I can do that.

My shoulders relax. "I'll help."

And Ness smiles, his cheeks dimpling deep crimson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Onett, Twoson, Threed, and Fourside are all cities in a country called Eagleland in Earthbound.
> 
> *In Earthbound, Ness lives in Onett.
> 
> *In Mother 3, Lucas lives in a place called Nowhere Islands. In this fic, it will be said that Lucas lives in Onett instead. This reason will be explained in due time.
> 
> *In Mother 3, Lucas has an older twin brother named Claus.
> 
> Happy reading! :)


	3. Drunk Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ness accidentally drinks a glass too many.

**_~Prologue~_ **

**_"Ness."_ **

The first time he says my name, I do a double take, spitting out my milk. Because the quiet boy in the classroom had spoken to me.

TO ME.

"You can talk?!" I exclaim, half-joking, half-serious, and when Lucas returns to his book with an air of detached interest, I puff up my cheeks. "Don't ignore me!"

Lucas regards me with a blink. "Your breath stinks," he murmurs.

I rear back in surprise.

What a jerk!

"That's not very nice," I say ruefully.

Lucas ducks his head into his book. "That's not... what I meant to say."

I snap my head up in attention. "Really?"

"Y-Yeah," he stammers, eyes round. "Sorry. The words... came out wrong."

His apology piques my curiosity. "A lot of people don't like to admit that they're wrong. You're weird."

"I  _am_  weird."

"Pokey says that you live in a dump. He says that you have fleas. I've never seen fleas before, but I heard that they like to bite people and suck out their blood. That sounds really itchy. You smell weird. Do you have fleas?"

Lucas's face colors up in a bright flush.  _"No."_

"My mom wants me to stay away from you. She says that you're dangerous," I say seriously. When Lucas continues to look petrified, I clumsily pat him on the shoulder. "But she's wrong. I think you're okay," I decide.

Lucas flushes a darker crimson. "I... think you're okay too," he says awkwardly, the back of his neck slowly turning as red as his freckles.

I snap my mouth shut, trying to keep down my excitement. I've started noticing lotsa things about Lucas the longer I hang out with him. The way he flickers his eyes to his shoes whenever he gets uncomfortable. The way he carefully watches people like they're about to blow up in his face. The way he flusters over a nice compliment. Lucas doesn't know how to respond to compliments. Poor guy probably doesn't get many in his life.

Everyone said that Lucas was a bad kid. Everyone said that he was smelly and weird and gross. Everyone liked to play "tag the Poocus" and screamed whenever they touched him.

But I don't think that Lucas is a bad kid. Lucas is just odd.

Though he did have the oddest personality. And the oddest smell. And the oddest hair.

Not knowing how to continue our ( _very one-sided_ ) convo, I fumble for the next best thing that catches my eye. "I like your hair. It's poofy," I say, watching it bounce in the wind. "Like..." Frowning in concentration for the right words, I make an exploding gesture with my hands. " _Pewf."_

As if to prove my point, Lucas turns redder, his hair poofing up as he shifts in his desk, but still, he refuses to look me in the eye. He seems determined not to look my way. Like he's PURPOSELY trying to ignore me.

Again, odd and odder.

I grab his attention again by playfully elbowing him in the ribs. "Hey... hey, Poof." The defensive glance returns. "Yeah, buddy, I'm talking to you. Come closer."

Biting down on his lip, Lucas shakes his head into his book. He looks like he's expecting me to prank him. Not an "all in the name of harmless fun" prank, but more like a "haha let's humiliate you in front of class" prank. Suddenly I think back to him crying in the bathroom, and feel a hot surge of anger. Lucas was odd, but picking on Lucas wasn't funny. My mom said so.

Stupid bullies couldn't pick on someone else their own size.

"Come on, please?" I whine, tugging on his shirt sleeve. "We can't share funny secrets if you won't scoot over-"

Sinking into his chair like a shrinking violet, Lucas squeezes his fists into his lap, kneading them into his shirt. He's debating whether or not to trust me.

I don't expect anything. I know that Lucas doesn't find socializing as easy as I do. I'm just glad to see him trying.

To my surprise, Lucas slowly leans in. His hair shyly tickles my cheek. I can feel his breath hit my shoulder.

With a big fat grin, I blow an obnoxious puff of air into his ear.

Jumping back with a loud squeak, Lucas flares up into an uncontrollable blush. He turns around, stubbornly hiding his crimson face into his book. I crack up, laughing until my stomach aches. Unsettling Lucas is just too funny to pass up.

Lucas ignored me for the rest of that day.

But every time I recall his flustered expression, I can't hold back a good laugh.

Totally worth it.

* * *

.

.

.

~ _ **Chapter Three**_ ~

_**Drunk Thoughts** _

.

.

.

* * *

Okay, I'll bite the bullet.

It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment I started crushing on Lucas _._  We're as different as apples and oranges. We get along as many times as we, well, don't. Over the years I've gotten to know him, my thoughts have shifted just as many times from  _damn, this kid is super shy_ to  _hey, this kid is pretty cool_ to  _oh my god, this kid is the Devil Incarnate._

Like all friendships, our trust took time to build.

I'd like to think that one of the turning points was the  _Subspace Emissary._  During my third year in Brawl - and Lucas his first - Tabuu struck Smash City.

Back then, I'd say we were more like  _close_   _classmates_  than  _best_ _buddies._  It's weird now, remembering a short Lucas, but I couldn't help but notice everything about him. How his blond hair clashed with the dark freckles splashed over his nose. How he used to flee at anyone's approach. Lucas was a timid wallflower, nervous and skittish about messing anything and everything up, and after thwarting his encounter with Wario, he became my shadow, trailing behind me wherever I went because he was too shy to say  _thanks._

Then puberty happened, and Lucas shot up like a beanstalk. His frame was suddenly too tall and lanky, and all of his freckles had paled away into his skin. Even more surprisingly, Lucas has grown more at ease around people. He's still shy, but now, it's a strong, calm kind of shy, like he's finally become one with whatever shit has happened in his past.

I sneak a glance in his direction. Oblivious to my thoughts, Lucas unpacks some of my old photographs from a box.

Lucas isn't really much of a talker, but it's never occurred to me how much I  _don't_  know about him. I don't know his favorite book. I don't know his favorite color. He never talks much about his family, but knows everything about mine. More or less because I blab my mouth off, and because my mom absolutely adores him, but that's beside the point.

I don't know jack about my best friend.

It isn't to say that I  _haven't_  tried to pry. The one time I asked Lucas about his family didn't go too well. I was pestering him after school, begging him  _please, Lucas, we never get to hang out at your place and_   _your mom_   _sounds_   _super cool can I meet her just this once please?_

Lucas had gotten that horrible, blank look in his eyes and said, "She's dead."

Instantly, I'd dropped the subject like a hot potato. I never asked him any more questions about his family, and Lucas pretended that the conversation never happened.

Still, Lucas couldn't have lived alone, because he would've had to stay at the foster home in Fourside. From the little I know, Lucas lived alone with his dad. I've never seen Lucas's dad before. I think about our old pen pal letters, and I decide that frankly, I'm lucky to have even  _heard_  of his dad. Lucas never liked bringing him up for whatever reason.

The thought leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I want to know more about his family... but I'm too afraid to ask.

"...Is this your sister."

I jerk out of my train of thought when Lucas holds up a photograph. Even from afar, I can tell which photo he's holding thanks to the old cheeto stain on the bottom left corner. "Yeah, that's Tracy. She dyed her hair blue three years ago."

Lucas makes a soft hum of agreement, then sets it aside.

He does that sometimes. The humming. It's not like a  _do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do_  kind of humming, but a low, vibrating noise Lucas makes deep in his throat whenever he's happy or pleased. He shuffles over to slide the picture my way, and while his close proximity sets my nerves ablaze, his vibrato's nice and soothing to the ear.

I study his face. The soft sunlight catches his blue eyes, making him look so much younger... and fuck, now he has two strands of hair out of place instead of one. I bite the inside of my cheek. No, Ness, don't touch your best friend's face because that's gay.

And I'm not gay.

I'm just gay for my straight best friend.

I've been staring at him for far too long, because Lucas turns around with a light frown. "Is there something on my fa-"

"Your hair," I blurt out without thinking.

Lucas hesitantly pats his own head. "What... what about it."

I finally snap.

"Hold still, ya goof." I crawl over his squirming legs and pin him down, before ruffling his hair in abandon. Ha, there! Now all of his stupid hair was out of place!

Lucas makes a face and shoves me off. "What was that for."

"Everything."

Emitting an exasperated noise, Lucas rises to his feet. "If you're going to joke around, I'm leaving. Bye."

I latch onto his ankles. "Nooo, I'm not done unpacking yet-"

"I have to train, leggo," he says, struggling under my weight. I loudly whine and groan and complain as he ends up dragging me across the carpet.

Fucking hell, Lucas is already shaking under the weight of one of his quiet laughs.

I break into a triumphant grin. For as long as I can remember, Lucas's laughs have been light and breathy like he's afraid of being overheard by other people. Either that, or Lucas is secretly hyperventilating to death when I tickle him and can't get enough air into his lungs.

My nerves jitter. I love his laugh. I wanna hear it again _._

I throw him a crooked grin. "Practice can wait. Where are  _you_  going?"

The corners of Lucas's lips quirk up. "Secret."

"Aw, Lucas-" I hug his knees together, preventing him from walking away. "You won't even tell me? Me, your bestest best buddy in the whole wide world?"

"No."

"Fucker," I say affectionately.

I can SEE the invisible eye-roll in his voice. "Finish unpacking, Ness," he says, and with a last burst of energy, Lucas pries his leg free out of my grip, fetches his keys from the bedside stand, and walks out of the room. I stare after him, somehow feeling both happy and disappointed at the same time.

 

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

I don't end up unpacking.

It's not because I'm moping around. It's not because I'm busy stuffing my face into my pillow. And it's not because I'm pining away for my roommate to return!

A part of me sorely misses the old Lucas. The Lucas who was too shy for his shoes, the Lucas who spazzed out twenty-four seven, the Lucas who never felt comfortable with hanging around other people. It was so easy to encourage him back then, so much easier to treat him like a best pal. If there's one thing I've figured out, it's that Lucas has a shitty past. That being said, if it even makes him feel the  _tiniest_  bit happy, then I'll gladly die a thousand times just to be his friend. It's horribly cliche, yet horribly true.

Now, I have no idea how the fuck to act around this confident Lucas. He seems so much stronger than me in many more ways. Something about his quiet, kind nature draws people to him like a magnet, even though he doesn't like talking to people himself.

Capable. Independent.

He's out of my league.

I stuff my face deeper into my pillow. I love him. I love him so much. I love him so much that I can't breathe. Oh right, the pillow. Yanking the pillow away from my face, I draw in a big gulp of air, but cough because my spit goes down the wrong way.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this!

I get a good grip of my hair. This reminds me too painstakingly of a similar phase I'd gone through with Paula. Of all the days I'd spent hanging out with her. Every time I'd walk Paula home after a good game of laser tag. Every time Paula would find a way to make me laugh. Every time I'd seen the looks of adoration other boys had thrown her - you know, the sappy sighs and goo-goo ga-ga eyes - and protectively reach for my bat because I didn't want her dealing this shit, even though she had the guts to tell them off herself. But even I knew that Paula had grown into a catch, attractive with a pretty hourglass figure and a prettier personality to boot, and after fighting Giygas together, I thought I'd known her inside out.

I'd thought that this was love.

One day, we were folding paper cranes by the Twoson lake, and she made the first move. She'd asked me out, and as I stared into the stars reflected in her eyes, my mouth wouldn't let out a single word. I'd wanted to say it too, wanted so badly to say  _you're amazing and_   _I love you too Paula I love you so so much,_ but the words wouldn't come out.

Maybe I'd always known. Deep down, Paula had been too late.

Someone else had already stolen my heart.

I swallow hard. Lucas can't figure out that I have feelings for him. It'd scare him away, and I value our friendship too much to make any drastic moves.

I press the pillow against my face. Okay, Ness. Shit happens. You have feelings for your roommate. Your  _cute and hella gorgeous_  roommate. So what? It'll pass. Just survive through the year, then quit Brawl or something. No, that wouldn't work. I don't want to quit Brawl and start school. Switch rooms with someone else next year? I'll still see Lucas from time to time. Avoid him again? No, he'll only get worried about me. Fuck, is there really no way out for me?

"Yo whatup?"

I jerk my face away from the pillow. Standing by the door, Popo greets me with his punkass smirk. No doubt he's witnessed my pathetic attempts to smother myself.

Popo invites himself in. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No, absolutely not at all. Now geddout. I'm thinking."

"Thinking? Bruh, I'm just saying, you might want to think a little harder and close the door next time you practice making out on your pillow-"

Oh that's it, he's asking for it. Cross now, I throw my pillow at his stupid face. "Fuck off, you."

Sadly, Popo swats the projectile away with his hammer before bursting into a series of mad giggles. "Sorry, bro, but I don't swing that way."

My cheeks start to burn. Out of an unfortunate slip of the tongue, Popo's the only person who knows that I'm batting for the other team. He's never let me forget it since. You'd think that with age came great maturity, but Popo - I swear - breaks that streak.

That's the real kicker. Popo only seems dense. He's your basic definition of typical bro and classic frat-boy in one harmless Eskimo pina colada... except when he  _i_ _sn't._  Then it's a very different story indeed.

You think that  _Nana's_  scary? Think again. Nana's all talk. Sure, she's got a hot temper, and when she gets mad, threats fly around, but she doesn't actually mean them. Now  _Popo..._  Popo's one sly mofo. He's a perv, but he's a perv with an uncanny knack for worming his way into your mind and heart.

So I don't bother lying. Popo can smell a secret five miles away. Whatever he wants to find out, he  _will_  find out.

"Geez, why don't you shout it out to the entire world while you're at it," I mutter.

"Hey bro, loosen up. I haven't told anyone." A pause as if double-checking. "...Yet."

"Wow, that sounded totally not-so ominous and threatening."

Popo breaks into a grin that doesn't meet his eyes. "Course, I might change my mind if you decide to hit on my sister-"

I roll my eyes. "I told you, I have zero interest in dating your sister."

"Good." Still, Popo hasn't dropped the serious expression from his face, the kind that sets all the alarm bells off in my head. Believe it or not, Popo can get pretty protective over his older sister. They bicker a lot, but Master Hand handpicked  _(haha handpicked)_  them for a reason.

Popo eyes my living room. "Ness, you don't happen to... uh-"

"Happen to what?"

"Pfft, forget about it." Thank god he's not gonna crack more dirty jokes. Popo heaves his hammer over his shoulder. "There's supposed to be a top secret party at midnight. It's gonna be totally ballin'. Wanna come?"

The thought brightens me up considerably. Smash Mansion rarely hosts any parties. Fancy dinner parties, sure, but oh man, not the loud, raucous ones with an epic DJ and spiked punch. A nice distraction from the jittery nerves fluttering in my heart.

"It's not in Smash Mansion, is it?" I blurt out.

A sneaky look makes its way onto Popo's face, and shit do I know what that look spells. It spells Trouble. Trouble with a capital T.

"Nope," Popo says. "Try the Snowflake."

 _"The Snowflake?!"_  I repeat incredulously. "Popo, that's a bar-"

"-run by my first cousin thrice removed. Trust me, I go there all the time. Mina won't check for IDs if you're with me."

"Popo, we might be  _seen."_

Okay, I'm no wuss, but frankly I'm a lil scared of barhopping in the dead of night. For crying out loud, I've seen strong smashers like Marth and Lucina surrounded by fifty bodyguards apiece whenever they left Smash Mansion. And that was just to hold back all the fangirls. And fanboys. But mostly the fangirls.

Man, Fire Emblem characters have it rough.

I shudder. Judging from how fast my Amiibos sold out, I'm not willing to bet my safety on one drunk Eskimo and his hammer. Sorry, Popo, but it's  _no's_  before _bros._

Popo shrugs in response. "Hey, not my problem. I'll be taking off my parka. No one's gonna recognize me _._ " When I still hesitate, Popo rolls his eyes. "Look, if you're gonna chicken out, then just say so-"

"I'm not chickening out!" I say defensively.

"Sure you are. Wuss."

This  _asshole._  I puff my cheeks up. "Fine," I challenge. "What time?"

"What, are you for real?"

"Sign me the fuck up."

Popo's grin widens, and before I can wonder what shit I've gotten myself into, he twirls his hammer and prods it against my chest. "Cool. Then swing by my room in a mo. Let's figure out how to disguise you, because bro," Popo gives me a look. "I don't want to be mauled by all the crazies wanting your autograph."

He's got a point. I laugh.

Satisfied by my response, Popo saunters off, singing an eskimo drinking song at the top of his lungs.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Several hours later, I'm sweltering in Popo's parka and seriously regretting my life choices.

We decided to sneak out at eleven-fifty. Popo would stop by my room before curfew, and I'd teleport us both outside the Mansion gates. Since I could only teleport to places that I'd seen before, Popo had shoved a black-and-white photo of the bar into my hands.

 _Dude, you'd better land right on the doorstep, 'cause I'm not ready to freeze my ass off walking,_  he'd said.

I study the photograph in my hands. This would be - dare I say it? - my first misdemeanor in Smash Mansion. Well, okay. My first misdemeanor was that time I broke midnight curfew to grab some Lucky Charms from the Cafeteria. Then there's that other time I MIGHT have swiped a banana from their fruit stand. Oh yeah, then there's that other OTHER time when I-

You get the point. It's all stupid stuff, and more importantly, stupid stuff I've never gotten caught for. Long story short, the midnight curfew's unreasonable beyond  _reason._  Like, what if I wanted to take a shit at one A.M. but the internal plumbing in our room broke down? It hasn't ever happened before, but Master Hand's so hella strict on minors. I can't wait to turn eighteen.

Even so, I have to admit that there was a big difference between  _getting caught stuffing my face_  and  _getting caught drinking underage._

I furiously shake my head. Now's not the time to get cold feet! Not when my pride's on the line. Suddenly, my mind flashes to Lucas. He never would've agreed to do something so stupid in the first place.

Goddammit, this isn't the time to grow a conscience! My record's pretty clear. There's nothing wrong about wanting to gate-crash a party. Plenty of people drink underage!

The apartment door swings open.

I perk my head up. "Popo, you re-" My voice dies in my throat.

Lucas dumbly stares at me from the doorway. For a second, his confused eyes roam over the fat parka swallowing up my face before they snap towards the photo in my clenched hand. Hastily, I stuff my hands into my pockets.

For one still moment, neither of us says anything.

Then Lucas fucking  _laughs._

I flush deep to the roots of my dark hair. "I'm cold!" I snap.

"I can see that," Lucas manages to say, his stupid eyes clearly laughing at me. "Mister Cold."

Git. I want to fling the parka into his face, but unable to blow my cover, settle for glowering back at him. "Haha, very funny."

Lucas shifts towards the thermostat, and offers, "Hey, I can turn the heater on-"

"What's going on?" Oh boy. Talk about timing. Popo pops his head in, and upon seeing the abomination he has forced upon me, he chokes over his shoulder.

"It's  _your_ parka," I hiss, redirecting my death glare to him. Popo's parka is big enough to disguise me, all right. It's big enough to disguise Putin's whole army.

Popo still struggles to breathe. "No, no, no, it's not the parka. The parka looks great on you. It's g- your face! Haha! _"_

I furiously sit up. "Oh, just you wait. We'll see who's laughing when I shove a PK Fire up your-"

Lucas coughs and picks up a clean towel from his wardrobe. "Curfew's in five. Are you two going somewhere."

We answer at the same time.

"No," Popo says.

"Yes," I say.

Lucas gives us both a weird look.

Popo steps in. "We're having a date night out!" he announces, heartily slapping me in the back. "Very romantic. Just the two of us in my room.. _. alone."_  He wiggles his eyebrows. "Isn't that right, dearest?"

"Of course, honey," I say sarcastically.

Lucas relaxes. Thankfully, Popo's joke alleviates whatever worries he's had. "You might want to teleport. Curfew's almost up-"

"Chill out, Lucas," Popo chortles. "I'll bring Ness back in one piece tomorrow. He won't be  _too_  traumatized... probably."

Shaking his head, Lucas walks into the washroom. A little later, I hear the tap running. Lucas is washing his face. I swallow, trying not to imagine how the glistening water would drip off the ends of his golden hair and pool up in the basin of the sink-

Popo snaps his fingers in front of my face. "Yo, Earth to Nessie. Curfew's in two minutes."

I tear my eyes away from the bathroom door. "Dhuh- oh. Where are we teleporting from?"

"Well, about that... I was going to say  _my_  room, but you know, I share a double with Nana. I didn't tell her what's up-"

The color drains out of my face. "You didn't tell Nana?!"

"It's fine, she's sleeping over at Jigglypuff's, dude. And there's no way we're making it to my room before curfew..." Popo lowers his voice. "It's a guy's night out, Ness. Chillax. Lucas is in the bathroom. This is the perfect chance. Let's teleport here."

"Here?"

"Well, yeah."

I take a deep breath, then pinch the bridge of my nose. "You owe me big time."

"Chillax, man. It's going to be cool." Popo's wearing a blue T-shirt splashed with the logo,  _Keep Calm and Chill On._  It's bizzarre to see him without his classic parka and hammer on. Speaking of his fashion change, I mourn over the temporary loss of my shorts and cap. Those were my jam, but I suppose we had to sacrifice comfort to keep our cover.

Still, you never know when everything can go to hell, so I tuck my yo-yo into Popo's parka... Even though I don't foresee a use for it. I hope I won't have to use it.

Popo looks around. "So, uh. Dude, how do we teleport?"

"...Grab my hand."

"Ha.  _Gay-"_

"Oh, shut up." When Popo's mitten closes around mine, I shut my eyes in concentration. Think. Think of the destination. I picture the bar in my head and will myself to  _be_  there. When sparks start flying from my feet, I sprint in a circle like a merry-go-round, running faster and faster and faster-

When the sky stops spinning in dizzying circles, Popo lurches forward and blindly gropes for my shoulder. "Yo, that's sick."

"Isn't it?"

"No, I mean, _I_  feel sick," he groans, clutching his stomach.

"It takes a while getting used to," I say, helping him up and surveying our surroundings. The bar looks more like an traditional Inn, warm and welcoming in the freezing cold.

**_The Snowflake._ **

It's a let down. I expected the bar to look a little more... modern. Definitely no crazy rave parties here.

Oh well. Beggars can't be choosers.

I poke Popo in the shoulder. "It's on you, big man. Lead the way."

Groaning and griping, Popo stumbles over to the creaking porch. He raps the door three times and says... something. An Eskimo language, maybe. I'm not too sure. Whatever it is, it does the trick, because a burly bouncer the size of a mountain yanks the door open. I eye the man, but not looking the least bit frazzled, Popo steps forward and starts hitting it off in his native language. The man returns his banter with a gruff, harsh syllable, and Popo turns back to me.

"No weapon policy. They want to pat us down for anything dangerous."

"But we're just kids," I protest.

Popo shrugs. "Rules are rules."

The bouncer pats us down. He fishes out the yo-yo in my pocket, but seeing that it's a child's toy, returns it back with another grunt. His search complete, the man steps off to the side.

Completely at ease, Popo waves me over. "Yo, you coming?"

Sparing the bouncer a last look, I follow.

It's hectic inside. People of all ages bustle around with drinks in hand. Boisterous laughter erupts from one corner of the Inn, and from unseen speakers, trashy pop music bounces off the walls. Judging from the high-pitched wail, some drunken idiot's either trying to kill my ears off or singing a poor rendition of  _Let it Go_  on stage _._  Exchanging a meaningful glance, Popo makes his way to the far side of the karaoke machine. We settle at the counter.

The wait doesn't take long. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, the bartender hurries over, her eyes brightening up in recognition. "Popo!"

Popo winks. "Mina."

She slaps him lightly upside the head. "Very bad, Popo! You a bad boy, coming to the bar after curfew. I tell your momma."

"She's not gonna care," Popo says easily.

Mina tuts, then glances over at me. "Who's...?"

Before I can say anything, Popo leans over and whispers something into her ear. A few seconds later, Mina gasps in shock. "You... Ness?"

I nod.

She lets out a louder gasp, then shakily pulls out a slip of blank receipt paper from her pocket. "C-Can you sign...?"

Catching her drift, I feel my cheeks flush. "Oh, okay."

I sign the piece of paper with my crappy scrawl, and Mina tucks my autograph almost reverently into her pocket. "Free drinks for you two," she says, looking happily dazed, then dives behind the bar.

My cheeks still feel warm. I can almost hear Popo laughing at me.

No wait, he  _is_  laughing at me. What an ass.

"My cousin's a big Smash fan. She wants to collect every Smasher's autograph one day," Popo says with a Cheshire grin. From the looks of it, the devious cheat has brought me along to save his wallet. Not that I'm complaining. I silently resolve not to underestimate his brains.

Mina arrives with two glasses and a hugeass pitcher creamed with frothy, golden beverage. She says, a little breathless, "On the house." When I thank her and take the pitcher, she visibly flusters before moving onto another table.

Popo suddenly sits up. "Tripel Karmeliet? Hell yeah."

"Triple Caramelwhat?"

"Ness, my man," Popo says, shaking his head. "If you've never tried Tripel Karmeliet, then you've never lived. Now, watch and learn."

I stare at the beer in idle fascination. My heart thumps in a strange kind of excitement, the same kind I get whenever I'm about to stick my hand into Peach's cookie jar, because I'm about to drink underage for the first time -  _damn the consequences!_  - and the forbidden edge lends a tempting allure to the entire situation.

Popo slides me an empty glass. "Dude, this is the good stuff."

I squint at the pitcher. "My dad likes Budlight-"

"Budlight?" Popo laughs.

Embarrassed, I squirm in my seat. "It's the only beer brand that I know."

"You're kidding me. That brand's shit. Cheap as fuck too."

"I wouldn't know-"

"Right, momma's boy and all."

I bristle. "Don't call me that."

"Chillax," Popo says, slapping me in the back. "That's why I'm here, bro. To corrupt you. You want first timer advice? Drink yourself stupid." When I shoot him a skeptical glance, Popo raises his arms in defense. "No, really. You gotta know your tolerance, man. Best way to do that is to go steady. Drink slowly. Keep taking shots until the drink hits you _-"_  Popo slams his fist into his hand for emphasis. "- _hard._ " Kicking back in his seat, Popo tosses me a light once-over. "Hoo baby. I'm gonna fuck you up hard tonight."

"Like hell you are," I counter. "What's your tolerance?"

"High, man. Real high." Popo flicks his fingers against his own glass. "I bet I can down more of these babies than you can."

"I bet you can't."

Popo laughs. "You can't touch this. It's as strong as fuck."

"We'll see about that, pretty-boy," I challenge, sliding my empty glass over. "Hit me."

Unfazed by the pretty-boy remark, Popo grins back ear-to-ear. "Cheers, man," he says, pouring us each a generous amount of beer. He clinks our glasses together before chugging his serving down in one shot.

I tip back the glass and swallow.

The beer smells deceptively sweet. So, so sweet that I think that Popo's lying. The aroma reminds me of a banana milkshake. This stuff can't possibly be that strong.

Then the alcohol hits my tongue, burning a hot stripe down my throat. The pleasant, mouth-watering aroma of banana and vanilla has masked the bitter-creamy tang and spicy aftertaste of the beer. I gasp, and my eyes water at the unpleasant sensation searing my mouth. Is this normal?

A round of loud giggles drags me back into awareness. Lazily fingering his empty glass, Popo watches me with the most self-amused  _I-told-you-so_  look on his face. He seems to be getting an immense kick out of my stupefied reaction.

"That... wasn't what I expected," I manage.

Popo laughs at me again. "Tipsy yet?"

I stubbornly wipe my mouth on my sleeve. "It's not half-bad. I can handle more of this stuff."

Popo pats my shoulder in approval. "Half-shot? Dude, you've got balls. I'll give you that." No shit, he's practically beaming like a proud soccer mom watching her son score a goal. When he sees me reaching for my glass, he shakes his head and says, "Bro, you are going to get  _so_  hammered."

When Popo downs his glass and goes for thirds, I finish what's left in my glass. This time, I expect the burn. It goes down easier. The taste is warmer and smoother on my tongue. The burn's almost pleasant, tickling my throat on its way down, and the carbonated drink bubbles happily in my stomach.

"I'm too sober," Popo adds as an afterthought, and I jump.

"Right," I echo.

Right, my ass.

I should've stopped after the first sip. Whatever's in that beer is strong enough to knock out a full-grown rhino.

Two hours later, Popo starts pointing out all the hot chicks in the bar.

"That girl... wow. Check out the size of her tits."

"Huh," I mumble into my empty glass. Popo's started to slur his words a little, but aside from that, he looks all right.

Me, on the other hand... KO. I'm nodding off. My eyes are feeling heavy and sluggish, my body just as tired and sore as if Little Mac  _one-punched_  me in the head.

Popo nods as if reaching a slow decision. "I'm gonna ask her for a dance."

I almost spit out my drink. "You're insane."

"Hey, if my sister can slow dance with Shulk, then I can pick up a chick in a bar. Ladies dig the confidence, man. That, and the RESPECC. I'm really feeling it." Popo downs the rest of his drink. "If you wanna head home, don't wait for me, all right? Chill out."

With that said, Popo slides off his seat and saunters off. Despite his stupidity, a part of me's impressed by his daring. Popo has balls to ask a random chick for a dance. They've shared  _zero_  words total since we've arrived. Then again, Popo's only asking for a dance. He's not looking around for a serious commitment. Off to the side, I see Popo smooth-talking, and the hot chick at his side giggles, already won over by his words.

I'm not self-conscious about myself to deny Popo's attraction to the fairer sex. Boasting a ridiculous  _S_  tier, Popo's charming in a flirty  _play-boy_  kind of way. With his high-set cheekbones and mane of wavy bronze hair that he hides underneath his parka, Popo's got these dark, smoldering eyes that shine with perpetual amusement and crinkle at the edges in an insinuating  _like what you see?_  Then, on top of ALL of that, he's a master of a silver tongue. Popo can BS his way out of any situation and talk people into doing things that they wouldn't have dared to touch with a ten-foot pole. Seriously, he's even got a line of girls desperately wanting to bend over for him before he plays all of their hearts in a row like he's got none to spare. Popo's one sly motherfucker, and he knows it.

Suddenly, I wonder what Lucas is up to.

A bitter taste rises up my throat. Popo can hook up with a random chick he's known for  _five_ seconds, and already, she's head-over-heels for him. I've known Lucas for years... yet here I am, unable to tell my best friend three simple words.

Three simple words.

My stomach gives an uncomfortable twinge, and I down my glass to ignore the feeling.

Time blurs. I can't tell how many glasses I've taken, but after a while, all the colors start swirling together into one dizzy circle. Kind of like PK Teleport. Comforted by the thought, I giggle. Lucas would never fuck himself up like this. He's too reasonable to get drunk, too reasonable to... what am I thinking again?

I miss Lucas.

I slowly lift my fingers to my face, and smile at the hot sparks surrounding my feet. Something must have shattered against the floor, but I don't know, I don't care, and tuning out the sounds around me, I flee into the night.

Weird sounds swallow up my ears.

It's hot and then cold, then  _ow,_  faceplant. I stagger back onto my feet, but the floor sways and I stumble straight into another wall. Dazed, I stupidly sit on the floor. A wide grin spreads across my face. Home! I'm home! I think. You'll catch a cold, Mom said, and Lucas told me not to go outside, but singing and swinging my arms around, I'm so damn happy that nothing could spoil my mood. I'm invincible!

But it seems pretty selfish to be happy all by myself. What would my mom say...  _Sharing is caring_. Or something of the sort. Okay! Then Imma share my happiness with someone else. I perk up my head.  _Lucas!_  Yeah, Lucas deserves to be happy too! Just... let me remember the stuff that makes him happy. Lucas likes Pokemon. Lucas likes reading. And Lucas... likes hanging out with Red.

Thinking about Lucas quietly laughing alongside Red suddenly makes me feel ill. I double over, tasting something sour on my tongue-

_"Mama mia! Is that Ness?!"_

_"Who got him drunk?"_

_"Here, someone take him upstairs-"_

People and voices start to surround me. I panic, feeling someone's arms around me. "N-No..."

Pink blocks my sight. A gloved hand, soft and delicate, rests on my shoulder. _"Ness, sweetie, lie down. Help is on the way._ _"_

I try to brush the hand off. "Mina, where's... where's Lucas...?"

_"Oh no, poor thing's confused. Sweetie, we'll send someone to get him, okay? Don't move-"_

_"It's okay, Miss Peach. I'll take care of it from here."_

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

I wake up with a bad hangover.

Sunlight pokes into my eyes, and I grimace, shielding my face with an arm. The mattress feels wrong, too hard and firm and waaay too uncomfortable than I last remember.

"What... happened...?" I croak.

"That's what I'd like to know."

I jolt upright. This isn't my room.

I'm in the hospital ward.

Lucas watches me from the bedside. Judging from the dark bags under his tired eyes, he hasn't gotten a wink of sleep. Did he pull an all-nighter just to check on me?

I sluggishly wave my hand. "Lucas-"

"You were drunk," Lucas says flatly.

Right. And that happened.

"Oh, fuck." I bury myself into my bedsheets, because I can  _feel_  Lucas's disapproval scorch a hole into my back.

"You're lucky that the press didn't find out-"

"I know, you're not my mom," I snap.

Lucas's eyes shift away.

Smart, Ness. Real smart. My crush found me tipsy and wasted on my ass in the dead of night. Not one of my proudest moments.

"Sorry," I mutter, gripping the sheets in my fists. The amount of guilt I'm feeling now is unreal. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

Lucas's bright blue eyes shift over to mine. A strange emotion flickers across his features. When he speaks, his voice cracks. "What's going on, Ness."

I'm floored. Forget  _quiet._  Lucas is barely audible. His unsteady tone is  _unnerving,_  leaking straight out of his voice. If I wasn't paying attention, then I might've missed it all together.

I swallow and avert my eyes. I almost wish that Lucas was yelling, or screaming, or chewing me out instead, but I know that Lucas won't do any of the above. Lucas is soft-spoken. He doesn't raise his voice. That, and he won't give me a fight. He's  _refusing_  to give me a fight.

I can't fight him.

The effects of the hangover still weigh fresh on my mind. I feel sluggish and slow. "I didn't plan... on getting wasted," I manage.

Lucas doesn't respond. Shit he's definitely upset.

I look up. "I'm sorry," I say meekly, shrinking back. "It won't happen again. Please, Lucas, don't tell my mom...?"

Lucas unfreezes. Resting his head against the back of his hand, he lets out a slow exhale. "I won't," he murmurs. "Just... don't do it again."

"I won't," I say honestly.

"Good."

"God, I feel like shit."

A smile plays on the corner of Lucas's lips. "Serves you right."

"I know." I say pitifully. "I regret everything."

From the corner of my eyes, I catch Lucas trying not to laugh under his breath.

I groan, "Fuck off." This finally triggers the quiet laugh from him. I throw him a dirty scowl, but I can't stay angry at Lucas for long, not when he's laughing, and to my chagrin, let loose a rueful chuckle myself. "I really fucked up this time."

"You did," Lucas agrees.

I swat at his head, and Lucas ducks underneath the swipe. Spoilsport. He overshoots the trajectory though, so when his arm flies right into my reach, I grab his wrist with both hands and yank him over. Emitting a surprised yelp, Lucas stumbles forward, tripping over the edge of the mattress and catapulting himself face-first into my bed.

Worried that I've gone too far, I watch him for any sign of injury. To my relief, Lucas clumsily pushes himself upright, looking dazed, and pops his head up.

Our eyes meet.

Lucas starts shaking with laughter. He hides his face into the bed covers to smother the noise, but the damage has already been done. I grin back and relax into my pillows. He's such a moron.

But I can't help it. I love making him laugh. I love making him happy.

I love everything about him.

In a split second of daring, I reach for his hand and grasp it. Lucas tenses, but unable to stop myself, I lift up his fingers and press the back of his hand against my lips. I'm pleasantly surprised to find that his skin's amazingly soft and cool; holding his hand feels so right, so  _natural,_  that without meaning to, I let out a happy sigh.

The laughter abruptly ceases. Lucas has frozen in place.

Then my brain catches up to me, and I want to slap myself stupid. What the hell am I doing?! Just as quickly, I let go, regretting the sudden loss of warmth in my fingers and give a feeble excuse for a laugh. "I guess I'm still drunk."

"...right," Lucas croaks. All of a sudden, he won't meet my eyes.

Fuck.

Anxiously, I reach for his shoulder. "Lucas? Lucas, I'm just joshing around-"

But Lucas recoils back with a sharp intake of breath. His eyes widen, and I know that he's putting the pieces together.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Trembling, I lower my hand. "I love you," I say quietly.

To my rising panic, Lucas doesn't say anything. Watching me, he opens his mouth, then closes it. When he finally speaks, his voice sounds alarmingly shaky. "N-Ness..."

"I love you," I insist louder, bolder. "I love you a lot."

The expression on his face shakes me to the core.

Scared. Lucas is  _scared_.

"I..." Lucas suddenly closes his mouth. His eyes turn horribly blank. "I hope you get better soon."

Without another word, Lucas leaves the hospital ward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POOF.
> 
> ...Happy Reading :)


	4. Sober Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas helps clear up a misunderstanding.  
> Ness hugs him. A lot.

**_~Prologue~_ **

"Lucas... you have blond hair."

"Never could've guessed it myself."

"You know who else has blond hair? Meee!"

Ness staggers around like a drunken fool, so I firmly pull him back before he can faceplant into another wall.

"Hehe. Thanks, Lucas."

I sigh. "How much did you drink?"

Beaming, Ness jabs four fingers into the air. "Twentyfleventeen!"

He's wasted.

"Come on, you," I mutter, poking him in the back.

During the time Ness had left to do who-knows-what, I made myself cozy and immersed myself in another volume of  _Sherlock Holmes_. It was a page-turner too, a murder mystery, and I was just getting to the good part when someone started rapping on my chamber door.

At first, I ignored it, in no mood to answer anyone at this hour, but when the sound persisted, I regretfully closed the book and slipped out of bed. Hopping over Ness's messy assortment of boxes, I'd barely twisted the lock aside when an unexpected face stumbled in.

"Luigi," I said, surprised.

Luigi tipped his hat. "L-Lucas," he stammered.

A tall, timid man in contrast to his short, authoritative brother, Luigi was no native speaker of English. Suffering from a perpetual stammer, he had a tendency of tripping and stumbling over each word as if each one was foreign to him. He was a good-natured man with a big heart, and was such a doormat that he let other people walk over him - to the extent that he's dismissed as a public ridicule. With his speech impediment, the poor man was often the butt-monkey of the media, but I liked Luigi. He was considerate and kind.

But out of all people, I never expected to see him on my doorstep in the dead of night.

"You-a sh-sh-should-" Luigi stammered again before slumping forward in defeat. "It's-a Ness."

Those words alone chased away the last of my surprise.

"What happened?" I asked, but Luigi nervously glanced in the direction of the open hallway. Immediately, I followed him out, terrified that Ness had gotten himself seriously hurt and injured.

When I saw him throwing up on Luigi's bathroom floor, everything clicked.

As reckless as he was, Ness should've known better than to drink himself stupid. For one, we're underage. It might not have bothered some of the other smashers like Popo and Nana, whose culture revolved around alcohol, but Ness had high moral standards. His mother was a good woman who had raised her child well, and the lessons she had invoked into her son has saved him the trouble of potentially winding up in countless public scandals as a smasher.

For all we knew, anything could show up on the front page.

His sudden lack of judgement is worrying. Did something happen at home? Sure, Ness thought with his heart first, but it didn't necessarily mean that he had no brain.

Maybe I should've checked on him sooner.

I eye his unsteady gait. "Maybe you should take it easy for a while."

Ness hiccups, then shakes his head. "Nope! I feel great. Grreaat." He enthusiastically grabs my hand and cuts off all circulation. "I'm never letting you go!"

I grimace. "Ness, too tight."

He tightens his grip and promptly crushes my fingers. How drunk is he?

"Fuck you," Ness slurs, poking my side. "I thought you were my best friend."

Here it is. An opening.

I lower my voice. "What happened?"

"You happened, that's what."

"Ness, what did I do," I prod, watching him with such intensity that I'm surprised he hasn't burst into flames. A part of me can't help but feel betrayed by his blunt accusation. I've upset him one way or another, and he's refusing to tell me. I think about all the times Ness has gotten into trouble for talking first and thinking later.

This is very much unlike him.

And it frustrates me, because while I don't want to push him, I can't help him if he insists on acting immature and denying that there's a problem.

Ness leans closer on his tiptoes. "You really wanna know?" A hiccup. "I'm surprised tha you haven't... haven't figured it out, Lucas. You being all smart and... smart."

When Ness stumbles over his own shoes, I make a grab for his shoulders, but I'm a second too slow, and Ness ends up colliding face-first into my stomach. The impact knocks all the breath out of my lungs. I double over on my feet as Ness throws himself on me and scrabbles around for a hold. He manages to hook his fingers into the back of my shirt, and we awkwardly sway in place with Ness hugging me and me trying to balance our combined weight with my shoes. He's heavy, and while I'm tall, I'm a walking toothpick. So when his legs go dead, I grunt under his sudden weight and struggle to hold him up.

Ness takes this the wrong way and squeezes my waist even tighter. I'm learning the hard way that a  _very drunk Ness_  is a  _very affectionate Ness_. He lets his head fall forward like a limp sack of potatoes, poking his nose into my stomach. "You smell good," he mumbles into my shirt.

Raising an eyebrow, I glance down at him. "You're drunk."

"I like you."

He's much more intoxicated than I thought.

I groan. "I'm bringing you to the hospital ward."

"I like you."

"I like you too," I say absentmindedly, struggling to pry his arms off. "Now let's try to stand on your own-"

"I like you more than a friend."

My hands stop over his shoulders. I feel myself gape, my mouth frozen open halfway.

With a happy grin like he's won the fucking Nobel prize, Ness peers up at me. There's a hint of strange mischief in his eyes. "I love you."

**_I love you._ **

It's been a long time since I've heard those words. My family had never been wordy people in general. Even before Mom's death, Dad rarely spoke more than a curt syllable. He was a man of few words, and I quickly learned to read people by their facial expressions, by what they  _didn't_  say. Actions spoke louder than words. There was no need for words when we understood what was implied. I knew that my parents loved me the same way that I knew that the sky was blue. Even with his last breath, my twin brother only said  _sorry._ Not _I love you_. Just  _sorry._

But when Ness expectantly stares up me, looking so hopeful after so easily dropping those three words... it unhinges me more than I want to admit.

Everything shatters before my eyes. This is a joke. This all has to be some cruel joke, because how long has Ness kept up his  _best friend_ facade? A month? Longer? A sinking feeling in my gut says otherwise. Is this why Ness was trying to avoid me?

Despite my unsteady hands, I'm able to get a good grip of Ness's shoulders and pry him off.

"Y-You don't know what you're talking about," I stammer, but I'm shaking like the AC's on full-blast. "You're drunk."

Ness squirms around in my grip, then drops his head with a sigh. "You're right," he says sadly. "I'm drunk."

I don't remember how I dragged him to the hospital ward on the 3rd floor. All I know is that I'm sitting in a chair by his bedside, propping my head in my hands, and staring blankly at my best friend as if he's grown two heads.

 ** _I love you,_** Ness had said.

I close my eyes.

**_I love you._ **

_Stop it_ , I want to say, but what's said has been said, and no amount of wishing will ever take it back. A part of me's telling me off for being dramatic, but my mind's falling apart, too bothered and confused by the words Ness has said.

Ness is my best friend. He's like a surrogate brother to me, and with his reckless confidence, if I squint  _just_  the right way, it's not hard to imagine Claus in his shoes. Saying that I have feelings for  _Ness_  is almost like announcing that I have feelings for  _my older brother._  Disturbed by the thought, I shudder, then watch Ness with uncomfortable eyes.

Just like Claus, Ness is a light sleeper, even moreso because all that alcohol has shut down his brain. He's dead to the world, save for the slow rise and fall of his chest.

I relax.  _Ness is_ _drunk_ , I reason. There's no way that Ness would have feelings for me. For one, I'm a guy, and for another, I know that Paula's crushing on Ness. I'm an oblivious person when it came to feelings, but I haven't been oblivious to the number of times Ness has called Paula back over the past year. To think that Ness likes me in the same way is almost laughable.

So when Ness admitted that he liked me more than a friend... he'd meant that he liked me like a brother too. At least, it's the most likely conclusion I could draw.

The thought warms my heart.

I exhale. My mind wanders freely, my breathing more at ease now that my logic is back. I don't know how much Ness has had to drink, but he'll be all right. He'll be okay.

With an overwhelming sense of relief, I wait for the crack of dawn.

* * *

 .

.

.

~ _ **Chapter Four**_ ~

_**Sober Thoughts** _

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.

.

* * *

Ness meant it.

As soon as his lips brush against my hand, I feel my breath hitch in my too-tight throat.

"I love you," he says timidly. Meekly.

His words sound sober, but there's no way Ness is sober. He has to be drunk. He has to be.

I open my mouth, but only a strangled sound comes out. "N-Ness..."

"I love you," he insists. "I love you a lot."

The intensity of his eyes scares me.

My ears ring with his words. My mind goes blank. "I..."

_I love you._

I need space.

_I love you._

I need air.

_I love, love, love-_

"I hope you get better soon."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

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.

.

 _"Honestly,"_  Nana mutters, giving her newest victim a scathing look. "I can't believe that you broke curfew to go out drinking."

"I thought she loved me," Popo moans pitifully from the corner of his dorm. Suddenly looking green, he pokes his head back into his pail. I wince, hearing chunky liquid slosh against the sides.

While pacing back and forth, my feet have somehow led me to the end of the suite hall. Upon hearing my foosteps, Nana popped her head out of her room, spotted me, and all but dragged me over to help her groaning brother.

Popo has finally staggered back from the bar, and Nana's not pleased.

"Can you believe it, Lucas? Dragging a  _minor_  out to drink in the middle of the night of all things-!"

I watch her dunk a towel into warm water. "How is he?"

"My brother? Yeah... He'll be okay." Nana wipes her brow, then folds her arms at her brother with an exasperated noise. "Serves  _you_  right, taking Ness out to drink. What on earth were you thinking? We're turning eighteen next month, Popo. You should've been more responsible!" She angrily attacks the sweat on her brother's feverish forehead. "Do you know how worried I was when Nina called me? Popo, I was worried sick!"

Popo mutters something under his breath.

"Ugh, you're impossible." But Nana's voice loses some of her ice; her angry frown has melted into an expression akin to exasperation. "This is why I'm glad that  _I'm_  the older sister."

"We're... twins..."

"Hmph. No, I'm definitely older, all right." Nana tosses me a worried glance. "Speaking of which, how's Ness holding up? Popo told me that they didn't go easy on the drinks..."

"Ness is a real lightweight," Popo says, and when Nana gives him a well-deserved glare, he hastily adds, "Wait, Nana! I switched his glasses out for water towards the end, I swear!" Nana clips him on the ear anyway. Recoiling from her hand, Popo sounds rather scandalized that we won't believe him. "Dude, I only wanted him to get lit. I wasn't going to watch him drink until he got liver failure-"

"He could've gotten himself arrested.  _You_  could've gotten yourself arrested," Nana snarls, slapping the wet towel into the basin with such vicious force that water sploshes over the edges. "Back to Ness. Lucas, how's he doing?"

_I love you._

"He's doing all right," I manage to say.

Popo coughs. "Did he say anything strange?"

_I love you a lot._

My heart clenches.

"I think that he's still drunk," I say, lowering my voice. "He wasn't thinking straight..."

"Of course he isn't thinking  _straight!_ " Popo says enthusiastically before going down with another round of violent coughing. Nana thumps him in the back, unclogging his windpipe, and Popo heaves a loud, watery gasp of breath. "Dude, isn't it obvious? Ness is  _so_  gay for you _-"_

"Don't be rude!" Nana snaps.

"I mean, he is-"

"Don't make fun of him," I say firmly, meeting his eyes until Popo fidgets and looks away. "You guilt-tripped him into drinking last night."

"Yeah, dude. But only because he looked bummed out." Popo shakes his head. "Man, Lucas, you are really dense. Just how long are you planning to play hard to get?"

Popo's making less sense by the second.

"What are you talking about," I say, exasperated. "I didn't know that- _"_

"-he's got the hots for you?"

A hot spike of warmth shoots up the back of my neck.

Catching my expression, Popo suddenly flails back with a howl of laughter, cracking his ribs up. "Holy shit. You really didn't know!"

Nana blanches and turns to her brother. "What? Ness is  _gay?_  Since when? _"_  Popo throws her a smug  _I-told-you-so_ , but she ignores him, instead rushing over to crush my arms in her iron grip. "Wait so, hold on. Does this mean... Did Ness come out to you?"

I nod.

Nana's voice rises by a wavering pitch. "And you just  _left_ him?"

I blink, confused by her rising panic. "Am I not supposed to?"

Nana groans and buries her head into her hands. "Nooo. Lucas, leaving him alone was the  _worst_  thing you could've done."

"The worst?" I say blankly. I flash back to Ness's face. I'm ready to pretend that his drunken spiel has never happened, and it's a mercy that I gladly would've taken had the tables been turned.

"Why?" Popo echoes. If it's any consolation, he sounds just as confused as I do. "Isn't it a good thing to like, give Ness some space? For him to chillax and embrace his hot flaming gayness or whatever?"

 _"No!"_ Nana incredulously looks back and forth between us. "Are you both serious?"

"Well, yeah," Popo says.

Between the two of us, I'm not sure who's the more immature. Popo knows how people tick, but has too much fun poking his nose into where it doesn't belong. He intervenes with people's lives for "the greater good," decides  _fuck it,_  and chooses not to learn from his mistakes.

In contrast I'm helplessly clueless when feelings are involved. I'm not emotionally intelligent. I might catch onto something, but I'm oblivious to how other people feel about me until they tell me outright. Even then, it's a struggle; I have a hard time understanding why emotional people are inclined to overreact. Being sentimental sounds so stressful and overwhelming. I just want a quiet life. A nice, quiet, boring life.

When neither of us react favorably in response, Nana slaps herself in the forehead. "Fine, I'll explain. Say that Ness's been hiding in the closet for days. Maybe months, I don't know. Normally, as close friends, he probably would've told you everything, Lucas, except that this time, he had a problem. A  _huge_  problem. And it was that he liked you. He liked you, Lucas; he liked you more than a friend, but that posed an even bigger problem - how would  _you_  react? He loved you, but didn't want risk losing your friendship. So he kept his mouth shut. He was careful enough not to let anything slip, and now thanks to  _this moron-_ " Nana shoots Popo a withering look. "He got himself drunk. All of a sudden, everything's gone south and he's tumbling out of the closet with his feelings for you.  _Then in that exact moment, you ditched him._  How do you think he'd feel?"

A chill crawls up my spine. "Oh."

Popo whistles, throwing Nana a look of appreciation. "How were you able to guess all that in one go?"

"Intuition," Nana says, looking quite pleased of herself.

"Dude... respect."

"I didn't ditch him. I just..." I try to search for something, anything to object to Nana's words. How suddenly I left the room, unsettled and unable to understand the words coming out of Ness's mouth. How I must have left Ness hanging, confused and horrified after he'd bared his heart in a rare moment of vulnerability. Just because I can read other people easily doesn't mean that Ness is able to do the same. Ness thrives on words, and I left him without a single explanation to boot.

Horrified by the implication, I close my mouth.

Nana lets go of my arm. "I know that you didn't mean to ditch him on purpose," she says kindly. "But at the very least, you should head back. Whether or not you accept his feelings, he could really use your support right now."

"But hey, think on the bright side," Popo says with a knowing nod. "You just played someone without realizing it-"

 _"Not now, Popo,"_  Nana hisses, tugging back his hoodie.

"What? It's a compliment! Who knew Lucas could be such a heartbreaker-  _ow!"_

Nana withdraws her hand. "Idiot," she snarls, clipping her brother a second time on the ear. "Don't pay any attention to him, Lucas. He's being a moron again-"

"I'll go check on Ness," I mutter, shoving my hands into my pockets. "Thanks, Nana."

Now anxious, Nana watches me leave. "Good luck..."

Popo eagerly sticks his head out of his room. "Oi, Lucas. Next time you get chance, show me your moves- ow! Nana, ow, okay I'll stop!"

"God, Popo, you're  _so_  insensitive! And don't think that you're off the hook yet! Mister,  _what_  were you thinking, getting Ness drunk in the middle of nowhere, and ooh, I am  _so_  disappointed in you-"

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

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.

.

"He's not here."

"He left?" I say in disbelief.

Peach purses her lips. "Ness left the hospital ward not ten minutes ago, sweetie. You just missed him."

I blankly stare at the empty bed. Ness's imprint is still there. He can't have gone too far. "Did he say anything?"

Peach gets a troubled look on her face. "Not that I remember. Oh, heavens, I didn't think that I was too harsh on him. Nothing beyond the lines of  _oh,_   _you boys are too young to get your lives ruined by binge drinking,_  and yet, Ness didn't say a single word in his defense. So very strange. That boy, I swear!" Shaking her dress, Peach gives a feathery huff, then pats my head. "Well, sweetie... we're all very lucky that he's got you to watch his back."

My heart sinks like the Titanic. Ness always has a retort or two in his arsenal. He is  _never_  quiet.

Shying away from her hand, I force a smile. "I beg to differ. Ness can take care of himself."

Much to my chagrin, Peach erupts into a big fuss and starts smoothing down my shirt. I squirm, because as nice as she is, she's getting a little too touchy-feely. "Oh dear, you're too kind," she says tearfully, misinterpreting my honest answer as some sort of philanthropic endeavor, and it's all I can do not to cringe because she couldn't have been farther from the truth. "Take good care of him, will you, Lucas? Poor boy was awfully quiet when he left. I'm glad that he has a good friend like you in the Mansion. You should've seen him back in N64 and Melee. He used to ramble about his pen pal all the time. It was always  _Lucas this_  and  _Lucas that-_ "

"Peach," I desperately interrupt, because I do not need to hear another rendition of how "Saint-like" I am, especially after I've  _maybe-perhaps-possibly_  alienated my best friend _._  "Did he say where he was headed?"

"No, dear. Oh, I hope you can find him."

Then the guilt finally crashes in, and the back of my neck begins to burn. Why Ness thinks so highly of me is a real mystery. "Thanks, Peach. I hope so too."

Despite Peach's well-wishes, my search doesn't go too well. Out of options, I stop by the baseball field. The trophy room. Even the library. It's early evening when I trudge back into the lobby, clutching for straws.

A stray thought suddenly seizes my mind. The cafeteria. Of course. Ness likes food. Where there is food, there is Ness. I race over to the cafeteria doors and fling them open, but when curious heads turn my way, I hastily shut them in mortified terror.

There are people - TOO MANY PEOPLE - inside.

I grimace. I don't want to attract attention by aimlessly wandering around the cafeteria, but I don't want to leave without searching for Ness. This is a situation that requires strategy. This is a situation that requires  _telepathy._

This also means that I end up standing in front of the cafeteria doors like a glazed-eyed idiot.

Ness isn't inside.

Disappointed, I stop looking for stray thoughts and retract my mental probe. By this point, I've pretty much resigned myself to picking a corner inside the cafeteria, sitting in an empty table, and repeatedly kicking myself until Ness decides to show up when a familiar scaly snout welcomes my arrival.

"(Lucas.)"

"Hullo, Charizard," I mutter, scratching the spot between his horns. Voicing his satisfaction in a low rumble, Charizard puffs out a continuous stream of smoke from his nostrils, and I smile. I like to pet him and watch him secretly enjoy it in turn, though Charizard would deny it. Red tells me that Charizards rarely warm up to people, only allowing a select few to touch their scales. After the Subspace Emissary, Charizard apparently decided that my presence was "worthy," and from then on, demanded free pets upon every sight. He's a magnificent creature, and an even more formidable opponent on the battlefield.

"You haven't seen Ness anywhere, have you?"

Charizard snorts and draws back his draconian head in a dignified manner. "(Maybe.)" He nudges my hand. "(More petting, and I  _might_  talk.)"

Cracking a grin, I vigorously rub the soft scales in the groove of his shoulders. Rolling his eyes in pleasure, Charizard gives a deeper rumble that can pass for a purr. His scales vibrate under my touch. "(Mmmm...)"

A sudden tap on the shoulder stops me in my tracks. Looking down at me, Red cracks a small smile, then shakes his head slightly to the left. The message is clear -  _Don't spoil him._

I reluctantly withdraw my fingers from Charizard's warm scales. Agitated from the lack of attention, Charizard lets out another puff of smoke. He gives a forlorn look at my fingers, but sighs in relief when Red takes over.

"Have you seen Ness?" I ask.

Red furrows his eyebrows.

"It's a long story," I admit.

He nods and gives me a gentle push away from the cafeteria _. Go,_  he seems to say.

I don't need to be told twice.

.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

.

Ness is still nowhere in sight.

My dread grows with his absence. Did he leave the mansion for good? My mind races a million miles an hour as I double back to our suite. I can't teleport. If Ness isn't here, then there's no way I can track him without running out myself. 

Ness doesn't have any practice matches today. I should regroup back in the apartment before jumping to any conclusions. He can't have left already, not after what happened last night. I rest my cardkey against the keyhole, and when the lock beeps, snicking open, I push myself inside-

Only to halt at the pile of blankets on Ness's bed.

The lump in my throat refuses to go down. "Ness?"

He doesn't respond, but I can tell that he's awake. The sheets have shifted ever so slightly.

My brow knits together in hesitation. Now that I've found Ness, I'm not sure of what to say.

Talking's not a skill in my department. It's always been Ness's forte.

I exercise caution. "Do you... want something to eat?"

The blanket fortress shuffles away. A hoarse voice escapes from its confines. "Not hungry."

At least he's responded this time. Awkwardly, I glance at the clock. It's barely six. "Are you going to bed?" I try again.

The blankets shiver.

My hand fumbles for the lamp. "If you want, I can... turn the lights off."

"Okay."

"..."

"..."

"Are you awake?" I whisper.

"...yeah."

"Ah. Are you-"

" _Lucas, what are you trying to say?!_ " Ness explodes, tugging the covers off his disheveled hair. His eyes are swollen and red.

"I want to talk to you," I say, steadily holding eye contact. I can't waver now. Not when one wrong movement can potentially destroy our friendship.

The windows dim.

I blink into the dark. Ness's eyes glow faintly like a cat's - another trademark of our psychic powers. When Ness speaks, his voice sounds all croaky, like the time he'd gotten a bad strep throat, and I start feeling like shit because I know that he's struggling not to cry.

We can't avoid the pink elephant in the room forever.

Drawing a deep breath, I open my mouth, but both of us end up speaking at the same time.

"Are you-" I begin.

"I'm gay," Ness blurts out.

An awkward silence follows. Unsure of how to respond, I close my mouth. "Cool" and "Good for you" don't sound like good answers. "Congratulations" fits the bill even worse, and "Happy birthday" is out of context. I'm still mulling over what to say, but Ness beats me to the punch.

"Isn't it funny...?" Ness manages to gasp, drawing his knees up to his chest. A strange laugh escapes from his lips, but it's not a laugh, doesn't remotely sound like one at all. It sounds more like a broken sob. "I can't believe it... I have feelings for you. I have  _feelings_  for my best friend." Ness is crying openly now, tears flowing out of his eyes and dripping onto his sheets, and the sight of him breaking down makes my chest feel all constricted and tight. "I'm disgusting."

"You're not disgusting-"

"Yes, I am!" Rising up in a sudden hysteria, the hurt flaring up in Ness's voice can't be mistaken for anything else. "Don't lie to me, Lucas. You know it's disgusting-"

"When did I ever say that," I say sharply, and Ness falters. Ness is upset, and knowing this makes me feel a lot calmer than usual. "You're gay. That's fine. I don't mind, Ness."

"I thought I was straight."

"I'm sure everyone thinks that the first time round."

"I don't want to be gay..."

"I don't mind what you are. You're my friend," I say firmly.

There's another rustle of sheets. "So you don't mind that I-" Ness cuts himself off and averts his eyes. "-that I like you?"

I shake my head.

A muffled sniffle leaks into the room. Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, Ness slowly raises his head. His stare intensifies. "Why did you run?" he whispers.

The back of my neck burns with shame. Suddenly, I feel exposed standing before him. "I was scared," I admit.

"Scared of what?"

"No one's ever said that to me before."

"Said what?" Ness presses, his voice this time much softer.

I swallow. "You know.  _I love you_. _"_ The hot feeling now prickles across my neck and down the back of my arms. "I'm flattered."

I can't make out Ness's face in the darkness, but I can tell that he's flushing too. "I mean, it's true. I do. Like you, I mean," he mumbles. "Don't be stupid."

"Ness."

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad that you're my friend."

Ness's lips twitch up. "Do I sense another gaydar going off?"

I let out a quiet laugh. "Can't get any gayer than this."

"No shit. We're talking about feelings and gay stuff, literally." Ness's eyes flicker to my face. "Lucas, I... I know, I screwed up, I shouldn't have gone out drinking with Popo, and I'm-" His shoulders begin to shake. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I freaked you out, and I regret everything-"

Hesitantly, I step forward and pat him on the back. "It's okay," I say quietly. "I'm sorry too."

Fisting my shirt, he pulls me closer. This time, I don't resist, letting him hug me. Ness shakes so badly that he can't stand. I train my eyes onto the threaded carpet between my feet and try to pretend that he's not crying into my shoulder.

"I'm so stupid," he chokes out.

"You're not stupid."

"I scared you-"

"You were scared too."

"Shit." Ness wipes his eyes on my shirt. "Shit, this is so gay-"

"You  _are_  gay."

Ducking his head, Ness laughs, a softer, gentler sound. His eyes peer into my face. "Lucas, this is why you mean a lot to me. I like you... I like you a lot. Hell, maybe even more than a friend. That's why... I need to know. I  _want_  to know."

His gaze burns into my skin.

I avert my eyes. My throat suddenly feels too dry.

"I'm not ready for a relationship," I say honestly. It's a true statement. I'm not interested in a romantic relationship with anyone, and as a smasher, I want to be careful with any aspect of my personal life.

Anything can be publicized.

My skin crawls with goosebumps. Last year on one of our photoshoots, a rabid shipper managed to take a picture of Ike and Marth play-wrestling. Nothing unusual. Both of them had been roommates and good friends. The problem had been the timing of the picture. From the camera's point of view, it looked like Ike had been  _kissing_  Marth.

The "scandalous" picture quickly went viral.

Once the fans had proof of shipping, the media never let it go.

Ike and Marth had been hounded by reporters for months on end. It hadn't been a pretty sight. They began arguing wherever they went - in the cafeteria, in the dorms, in the bath house. Whenever I'd heard either of them bellowing down the hallway, I instantly doubled around in the opposite direction. They used to drag other smashers into team battles, then insisted on taking opposing sides, but anything they tried only added fuel to the fire of "Forbidden love."

Their friendship met a nasty end. Eventually, Ike moved out, leaving Marth to room with Roy. Neither of them has spoken to each other since.

The media would've eaten up Ness's confession like flies. They would've been happy to make his life miserable.

I have to protect our friendship.

"But if you could... would you give me a chance?" Ness presses. His cheeks have turned bright red again, but he looks straight into my eyes. He's nervous, but he's refusing to show it. He's confident. He's  _trying_  to be confident.

I carefully word my response. I can't give him any semblance of false hope.

"No," I admit. "I see you more like a brother."

He fails to hide the crestfallen expression on his face, but to his credit, takes it well into stride. "I expected it, but it was worth a shot."

"I'm sorry," I say, feeling sympathy. With his huge pride, it couldn't have been easy for him to handle rejection right off the bat. When Ness hunches over, exhaling a deep breath, and I watch him in concern. "Will you... be okay?"

Ness clutches his chest. I feel the heavy ache. "Heartbreak hurts like a bitch," he admits.

My chest twinges with guilt. "You deserve someone better-"

"Don't worry. I'll man up and get over it." Despite himself, Ness cracks a lopsided smile. It's sincere. "You know, it's not so bad having you as my first crush."

The hot feeling surges back up into my cheeks. I can never get used to Ness's blatant honesty. "Thanks...?"

"Wow. That was gay."

"Nothing wrong with that."

Ness takes a deep intake of breath. "Thanks, Lucas," he says gently. "You know, I'm really glad that you're my friend too."

Something warm stirs my heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy reading! :)


	5. Pride Before a Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ness is outed.

**_~Prologue~_ **

Left with the crushed, bleeding mess that was my heart, I hoped that my brain would've shown me some sympathy tonight.

Alas, that was not the case.

Welcome to PSI One-oh-One, where sleep comes in a two-for-one package with future visions. It's hard to say which dreams are just dreams, and which dreams are prophetic posers ready to pop up in my face. Got a nightmare? Cross your fingers and hope to high hell that it's not going to fuck you over in real life.

Take the aftermath of Subspace for example.

Yeah. Not a fun time.

Shaking and shivering after a nightmare, Lucas used to scramble into my bed and hide under the sheets. I never realized what was going on at first, because he was careful about it, slinking back to his bed before the crack of dawn, but one fated day, he'd dropped his guard and I woke up with his sleeping face an inch away from mine.

As I'd watched Lucas breathe, the first thing that had sprung up to mind was  _Home._  Lucas was practically my adopted brother, and it's contradictory because everyone in my whole family was outgoing. In my home, there were no boundaries when it came to privacy. It sucked, but it was how we showed off our  _I love you's_. My mom still liked to check on me every night before retiring to bed, and I had an invasive little shi- ahem,  _sister_  - who liked to barge into my room just to mess with my stuff. But as annoying as Tracy could get, she's not a jerk. Even now, there were still times when she felt vulnerable - times when she crawled my bed and cuddled next to me after a bad nightmare.

I'm used to having someone invade my space, because I'm an older brother.

It's in my job description.

So in that split second, I'd decided that I'd liked this vulnerable side of Lucas. Lucas wasn't family by blood, but he was as good as one. Failing that, being there for him made me feel strong. It made me feel special _._  So I'd wrapped my arms around his skinny shoulders and pressed myself closer. Nightmares were one of the rare exceptions Lucas would let me in close, so I did just that. I'd hugged him. I'd whispered encouraging words and stroked his hair until the shaking died and he fell back asleep.

Other times, it'd be my turn to get the nightmares. I'd tumble out of dreams of the Ruined Zoo, terrified that I'd been too late, that Lucas had been hit by the Dark Gun, that I'd failed to push him out of Wario's way, and I would scramble to his side of the room just to make sure that he was safe and sound and sleeping. Often, as deep of a sleeper he was, Lucas would wake up from our shared nightmares. Whenever that happened, he'd quietly traipse over to my bed and let me hug him because I'd be too ashamed to travel to his.

But my nightmare tonight is beyond strange. From the moment I step into my dream, I know that it's no ordinary trip to dreamland. It's definitely a vision... of sorts. Except that visions predict the future, and this exchange is DEFINITELY taking place in the now. It reminds me of Lucas's telepathy, of the rare times he shares his memories and thoughts with me.

Anyway, I enter this nightmare with a weird feeling of wrongness, the same kind of wrongness you get when your near-sighted math teacher accidentally hands you the  _El Espanol_  worksheet instead of the Chapter One pre-algebra quiz. But I've barely registered it before a serious case of deja vu kicks into gear and raises the hairs on my arms.

This dream seems familiar. Eerily familiar.

"Oi, shortfry."

Right on.  _There's_  the floating disembodied voice.

I turn around. "Lucas...?"

It's not Lucas. That's for sure.

Pretty recently, like about a year ago, I've had recurring dreams about this copycat with his voice. The first time I spotted the fuzzy outline of my stalker skulking around the corners of my vision like Slenderman, I woke up in cold sweat. Once, I tried calling out to him, but the figure never responded. His constant presence in my dreams made me uneasy, but he didn't DO anything, so I figured that it was just a trick of light.

Then not long ago, "Slenderman" decided to make my life a living hell. I got dreams of dying. Nightmares. Once, the fiend stabbed me in the chest. Another time, he drowned me in the ocean.

I never got a good view of his face.

And the worst part? I'd forget everything about him when I woke up. So it's almost like I have selective amnesia, except that I only get total memory recall during my NEXT nightmare. How fucking convenient is that?

From the steam, the dark silhouette steps closer. "Lucas" gives a sharp bark of laughter. "So you're the idiot lusting after my twin brother. Not much of a looker, I'll add."

Great. Now my DREAMS want to talk about my gay crush.

I groan, "Kill me now-"

"Let me tell you a bedtime story, shortstack," "Lucas" says, ignoring me. He tosses a baseball up into the air and catches it easily with his palm. "Once upon a time, there was a kid with a smart mouth. Like you."

"Oh stop, you flatter me."

"Don't laugh. He was a prideful fool and thought that he could do anything. One day, his mother died. He set out to avenge her death. Just before he could, his brother stopped him. His brother begged him not to go. The idiot didn't listen and left anyway. Guess what happened to him?"

 _Well, I'm guessing that h_ _e didn't live happily ever after,_ I wanna say, but decide not to smartmouth him back.

Good thing too. A glowing crimson eye hovers an inch away from my face. "His body was never found."

His story rings in my ears. This is important. Something about this story is key to uncovering his identity.

Too bad I don't know why.

I bristle. "Are you threatening me?"

"Lucas" ignores me again. God, this stalker pisses me off. When he leans over, he's so close that I can see the gray outline of his face. His whisper sounds deadly. Dangerous. "You don't deserve to be Lucas's friend. You're a worse copy of the same fool."

"And you're just a blue-balled bully," I mimic, shoving his face away. "Geez, I knew that my subconscious was a prick, but this is really pushing it."

The dark silhouette raises the baseball, then examines my face like a carving block. "Well, isn't this a fitting way to go. Which do you prefer, curve ball or straight ball? Oh, right." The corner of his lips curl up in a mocking smile. "Curve ball, it is."

"What do you want from me?" I demand angrily.

"Who said that I wanted anything from you?" he sniffs, turning up his nose in thinly-veiled disgust. Arrogant git. "I'm searching for Lucas."

A chill trickles down my spine. This madman is after  _Lucas?_

I ball my fists. "You lay one finger on him, and I'll make sure you'll regret it-"

"That's a pretty speech, shortfry." His mismatched eyes burn with hate. "Now get lost. You're in the way."

The baseball smashes into my skull.

* * *

 

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~ _ **Chapter Five**_ ~

_**Pride Before a Fall** _

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* * *

Left with the crushed, bleeding mess that was my heart, I hoped that my brain would've shown me some sympathy tonight.

My eyelids shoot open. Shaking off whatever nightmare I had with a grunt, I uncurl my cramped arms and ready myself to roll out of bed-

Only I can't.

Someone else is blocking the way.

Completely clocked out, Lucas lies on his side with his arms outstretched and his fingers splayed. As I dumbly stare at him, his breathing tickles my face, and it takes me a solid minute to realize why.

Right. After all that drama last night, we fell asleep on my bed.

I study him, fascinated by how he sleeps with his head under his arms. Like a bird tucking its head under its wings. Even if he doesn't say it, Lucas must be really tired, considering that he stayed up the day before to deal with my stupidity.

Then Lucas shivers, and I realize that I'm hogging the sheets. Quietly, I tuck the covers up to his chin. As I do, I frown, noticing how prominent the curve of his cheekbones are. Did I stress him out? Lucas never eats much whenever he's under pressure. As sad as it is, I'm not surprised. Lucas would've suffered a harder loss on his end if our friendship fell apart. Lucas takes time - months,  _years -_ to garner trust. I'm his only childhood friend. I'm the only person he can trust with anything. To lose that security, especially over such a stupid misunderstanding, would've irreparably damaged his trust.

Lucas always seems so strong that I keep forgetting how fragile he can be.

Huddling into the covers, Lucas shivers again. Hesitantly, I draw one arm around his shoulders and tug him closer. With a slow sigh, Lucas huddles in and presses the top of his head against my chest.

A hot feeling prickles across my cheeks. Oh shit, goddammit  _noooo._  Like I need another reason for my hormones to go crazy!

I scrunch my eyes shut. No, I'm not in bed. I fell asleep on the sofa watching another Lord of the Rings rerun in the living room. The sofa is cold. And soft. And smells like chocolate shampoo. Anything. I'll take anything.

Anything to forget that antisocial dead-as-a-pan Lucas likes to cuddle people in his sleep.

Underneath my arm, Lucas shivers like a leaf. The scent of chocolate tickles my nose ten-fold, and when his empathy link tingles with a faint hint of helpless terror, I give up. Screw it, everyone deserves a good hug. I protectively wrap my arms around his shoulders and watch as - to my relief - Lucas relaxes.

I don't know if Lucas knows about his embarrassing habit of sleep-cuddling, but I've never found any reason to point it out to his face. I probably do plenty of embarrassing things in my sleep too. Like sleep-talk. Or drool. Eurgh.

But what I DO know is that Lucas has done it as a kid, and that cuddling him back chases away whatever nightmare he's under. It's happened so many times that at this point, comforting him is practically instinct. I swear to god that there's a code ingrained into my brain designed to ward off anything that can potentially harm him, because wanting to keep Lucas safe is second nature.

...Which makes sense, considering our long history together. Whenever Lucas used to stop by my house after school, we played for long hours, running around in my backyard, flying kites, playing hide-and-seek. By the end of the day, my mom often found us napping together, too tired and worn out to move. When we grew up and I had to leave Lucas behind for N64, the habit slowly died out. Two kids cuddling was cute. Two teens cuddling? Gay.

Speaking of gay... right. I've come out of the closet. Sort of. It worked out a lot better than I expected. Lucas is still my best friend. Nothing else has changed. I know that I should've been grateful, but a part of me can't help it. Not when I want us to be more than friends.

I laugh bitterly. I'm back in square one except that this time, Lucas knows about my feelings for him. It's kind of weird, thinking about it, but that only reinforces how few people Lucas has in his life. He's willing to accept me because he's got no other alternative.

 _Get over it_ , I tell myself. Lucas sees me as a brother. It's the closest anyone else has gotten by far.

But it's not good enough.

I force down the lump in my throat. When Lucas first said that he wasn't ready for a relationship, it didn't bother me.  _T_ _hat_  part had been easy. I was willing to wait, even if it took Lucas five years, ten years to accept me. He was worth it, worth  _so much_  as a friend and worth  _so much more_ beyond that. I've practically lived with him all my life - competing for the last slice of pizza, wiping the floor with MarioKart - and I couldn't imagine anybody else who simply got me like he did.

I love him too much.

A ray of early sunlight catches Lucas's hair. I want to stroke it, but I know better than to try. This isn't third grade. We aren't children anymore. Those days are over.

There's no point in pining after someone who will never return my feelings.

Quietly, I rummage around and pull out my clothes from the closet. I don't bother packing anything else; this is a temporary move out, not a permanent one. Snapping the latches shut, I pick up my suitcase.

This is it.

I turn around, viewing the room for what was probably going to be the last time in a long while. I don't want to leave. I'm actually fond of the cramped room with its memories, the trick wooden plank that tripped Lucas over all the time, the bathroom lights that I accidentally cracked with my yoyo last year.

Deep down though, I know that I have to accept the truth. I want time to get over Lucas's rejection, and more importantly, I want time to mend my broken pride. After last night, I don't think I had the courage to look him in the eye. When I've become comfortable with myself, when I was ready to be called a best friend again,  _that_  was the moment I'll return, asking if he'll accept me back into his life.

"I'll be back," I whisper, empty and numb.

Lucas is still sleeping. I envy his oblivious state.

Dropping my dorm keys onto my pillow, I take my leave.

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~oO0Oo~

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I go to the first place I think of. On the second knock, its disgruntled occupant answers the door.

"Hey, open up," I hiss.

"What the hell, Ness," Popo groans, rubbing his eyes. "It's like, five in the morning-" He spots my luggage, then stupidly says, "What's with the suitcase?"

"I want to stay with you for a bit. Just to avoid morning curfew."

"I dunno, man..."

"You owe me big time."

"Point taken, bro." With a yawn, Popo stretches out his arms across the door frame. "Why the rush? Did your date night go sour?"

"I'll see Master Hand later," I say desperately. "I just need a place to stay for tonight. Popo,  _please_ -"

"Sure, I gotchu. But you're lucky that the girls are having another sleepover at Jigglypuff's place. If Nana were here, then I couldn't have let you in." He takes a step back, watching me shoulder my way past the threshold before he closes the door behind me. "So man... how was it?"

"How was what?" I say irritably. I'm not in the mood for his stupid innuendos.

Sadly, Popo doesn't catch my drift. He sniggers, "Duh, your first time. Who topped?"

I throw him a flat look.

Popo's expression turns incredulous. "Wait dude, did Lucas  _actually_  reject you?"

"It's complicated," I mutter, shouldering past him.

"Wow. That's rough, buddy," Popo says, sinking into an ice-cube-shaped bean chair. For once, he looks genuinely sympathetic. "Well, he didn't have to kick you out-"

My throat turns dry. "He didn't kick me out. I left on my own."

"Ohhhh... wha?"

I rest my head into my hands. "I couldn't stand rooming with him. For now," I admit. "Knowing that I could never have him... it wasn't going to work out."

Worming his way to the fridge, Popo cracks open a bottle of Arctic Ice Water. It lets out a soft hiss. "Well, his loss," Popo says, wiggling another glass bottle in my direction. "Water?"

I eye it suspiciously. "It isn't..."

"Not alcohol, dude," Popo promises, crossing his fingers. "Water, one-hundred percent."

Somewhat wary, I take the cold glass bottle. I risk a sip. True to his word, it's water. "Thanks."

Popo leans forward on his seat and laces his fingers together. "Yeah, soooo. There's something else I need to tell you. Nana knows you're gay."

I choke on my water. "What?!"

"It's just her. I didn't tell anyone else-"

"Popo, you said that you weren't going to tell  _anyone,_ " I say, furiously slamming down the bottle of water. It drops off with a  _thunk_  and rolls off the table.

Popo raises his hands in surrender. "Chillax, I didn't say anything-" When I continue glaring at him, Popo amends, "Okay, it might've accidentally slipped. But Nana mostly figured out when Lucas stopped by. Nice to hear that you're finally out of the closet-"

My blood turns to ice. "Popo," I say slowly. "I never came out."

"What do you mean, 'you never came out'? You told Lucas-"

"Yeah, only because he figured it out. I wasn't ready to come out  _in public!_ "

Finally, it hits him. Popo blanches. "Ohhh... Fuck."

 _Ohhh fuck_  pretty much sums up the situation, all right.

"Well... Don't freak out yet, man. Maybe Nana didn't tell anyone else at the sleepover," Popo says, sounding less and less convinced with each passing word. "I mean, it's not like Jigglypuff posts everything on twitter-"

Breathing in panic, I grip my temples. "My life is over," I say hoarsely. "Popo, what have you done?"

"Dude, chilla-"

 _"What have you done?"_  Freaked out beyond my wits, I grab him by the shoulders. "By tomorrow morning, everyone's going to know. The media's going to know!"

"I didn't-"

"Fuck you!" To my horror, I begin to cry. I haven't told my mom that I'm gay. I haven't even told my  _little_ _sister_  that I'm gay, and now, it's about to be broadcast to the entire nation.

I'm about to become the laughingstock of Smash Mansion.

My pride's finally sunken to a new all-time low. I shove Popo's hand off and haul my suitcase to the door.

" _Hey! Dude, snap out of it!"_ Popo holds me back by the shoulder. Up close, I can see that his forehead is dotted with sweat. "Have you fucking lost it? You'll get caught after curfew-"

The warning strike whizzes over his head. Popo lets go, falling onto his rear with a yelp as I snap the yo-yo back into my palm. "Back off," I grit. I can't think. I've reached the point past all caring, because I'm angry, I'm so, so angry that I'm shaking. Popo's lucky. He's lucky that we're not on stage, because I may want to smash his last stock to bits with my baseball bat and watch him scream like a fucking girl as he flies off the stage. And laugh.

But we're not on stage.

So instead, I say in a low voice, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't clobber you with my bat." I know that my eyes are flaring up like a 4th of July freakshow - like they do whenever I'm an emotional wreck - because Popo looks ready to shit himself. His dilating pupils reflect off the same unearthly purple sheen of my own eyes, just as if the FBI's shining a colored flashlight into his face during a hardcore interrogation. I hate the unnatural color of my eyes, but I can't say that I'm not pleased with how they intimidate him right now.

Popo gulps. "Dude, don't get me wrong. I'm a lot of things, but Master Hand's out patrolling the halls tonight-"

I turn around and snap my fingers. The bolt jerks out of its lock-

A sharp pain explodes in the back of my head.

I black out.

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~oO0Oo~

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Two arguing voices echo into my ears.

_"Why did you knock him out."_

_"Dude, bro. I didn't have a choice! H_ _e was going to get in trouble for breaking curfew-"_

_"That doesn't give you an excuse to swing a hammer into his head!"_

_"I panicked, okay man? Oh fuck, I'm sorry, I screwed up-"_

I stir, letting out a groan.

_"He's awake!"_

_"Ness."_ A cool finger brushes against my forehead.  _"Ness, can you hear me."_

I struggle to open my eyes, but my arms are so heavy, and the throbbing pain in my head won't fucking leave-

Someone wraps their arms around my chest. I'm lifted up into the air.

_"I'll take him down to the hospital ward. Go get Dr. Mario."_

_"R-Right!"_

My limbs weaken. All the energy drains out of my head.

Darkness swallows me whole.

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~oO0Oo~

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I wake up lying face-up in the hospital ward.

An angry pain throbs through my head like a gong. Someone else shifts beside me, and with a grimace, I roll my head over-

My breath catches in my throat. Lucas is watching me from the side, his eyes heavy and tired. His shoulders are slumped; his breathing, slow and sluggish. He can't catch a break, can he?

Trying to lift the heavy mood, I crack a weak grin. "Here we go again."

Lucas doesn't smile back. He sets a full glass of water on my bedside table. "How do you feel."

I try to sit up, but stop halfway when my head starts screaming death metal. "I feel like the Ultimate Chimaera chewed me to pieces," I groan.

"You can thank _this moron_ for that," Nana snaps, popping up beside me. Her sudden presence startles me, and glancing around, I see that Red, Toon Link, and a very guilty-looking Popo are there, gathered around my bed. What's going on? "I can't believe you, Popo. The moment I leave a second time for my sleepover, you wreck Ness over-"

"Dude, I'm so glad you're alive," Popo wails, almost throwing himself onto me. "If you still want to clobber me, I know, I totes deserve it-"

"Oof! Popo, g-get off-"

"You were going to break curfew, and I had to stop you from getting into trouble-"

"-so you bashed his head in with your hammer," Nana snarls.

With another wail, Popo drops himself onto my bed and begins to flail around. "Ness, bro, it was an accident! I was like totally panicking when you wouldn't wake up and dude,  _dude-"_

"It's okay, Popo," I say tiredly. The memories of last night slowly trickle back, and okay, I admit that I'm still mad at Popo, even if he didn't mean to clobber me. But I can't dwell on it forever. Not out of the kindness of my heart, but because something else has caught my attention.

Something else more important.

"Guys," I whisper, my voice dry and cracked. "What happened?"

It's like my words are a fucking spell. Nana stops hollering up a storm. Popo goes as still as an ice statue. A sudden hush has crawled into the air, a horrible, morbid silence as if someone has just died.

Then Toon Link nervously steps forward. "N-Ness, it's... I wanted to say that whatever happens, I don't mind... well, we don't mind that, um, ah..."

A cold realization seeps into my skin. Lucas has yet to say anything either, so I turn over to look at him. "Lucas. Hey." I gently curl my fingers around his forearm. Lucas bites his lip, then averts his eyes. Worried, I squeeze his arm. "Hey, buddy, answer me. What's wrong?"

Lucas shakes his head, then to my surprise, grips my hand in both of his. A comforting gesture. "I'm sorry," he chokes out.

On any other day this moment would've sent me flying to Cloud Nine.

But right now, Lucas's behavior  _scares_  me out of my wits.

To my surprise, it's Red who finally breaks the silence. He leans over to grip my shoulder. It's a tight grip, nothing like Lucas's gentle touch, but it's firm enough for reassurance. Startled, I look up into his dark expression.

"They know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember frens, outing someone is never the right thing to do. Accidents happen, but don't ever out a friend until they're ready to come out of the closet.
> 
> Happy reading! :)


	6. Stand Up Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas and Ness make amends.

 

**_~Prologue~_ **

The first thing Ness does is to drag me to the phone booth. He grabs my arm and is almost  _pulling_  me along, and I stumble, trying to keep up with his shorter height.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Ness babbles as if I have a choice, but the terror in his eyes is unmistakable. He's afraid of coming out. He wants someone to be there while he's calling his mom.

And I understand.

Curling my fingers around his hand, I give it a careful squeeze, hoping that he can understand the words I don't say. That this is okay, this is all right.

Ness gets the message. He squeezes my hand back. "Thanks," he says quietly.

We get to the phone booth in no time. Ness's fingers are so shaky that he keeps missing the coin slot, so I pick up the quarters and insert them in for him. With his left hand on the phone receiver and his right hand squeezing mine as hard as the day he got drunk, both of us wait in excruciating silence.

It doesn't take long for Ness's mom to pick up.

"Hi, mom, are you- oh... did I wake you up? Right. Different timezones." Ness hunches over the phone. "Yeah, Lucas is here too. He's doing fine. No, I didn't get sick. My voice sounds croaky because I woke up late. Yeah, I swear, I'm okay. But I need to tell you something, it's the news - oh, you heard? Oh. Uhuh."

An excruciating silence.

Ness's shoulders shake, and he begins to sob - but this time, it's a sob of relief. "Mom, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't call home. A lot of things happened, and I didn't want to worry you after dad left-"

His dad left? I recall a kind flustering man in a trenchcoat. Did his parents get divorced? If so, is this the reason behind his sudden aggression? Come to think of it, Ness has been calling Paula more often instead of his mom.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay." With a sniff, Ness wipes his eyes with his sleeve. I pretend to look the other way. Ness has a huge pride. It must have killed him to have been rejected yesterday, and to top that, with everything else that had been going on, he has a right to have a moment to himself. Carefully, I try to pry my hand out of his, but Ness squeezes my wrist tighter. A clear indication - _Don't leave_. "Yeah, love you too. Stay safe. Call you later. Bye."

It isn't until he hangs up when he realizes how pale my skin has turned in his tight grip.

"Sorry," he says, letting go, and I rub the circulation back into my relieved hand. "My family's gone into hiding," he admits. "Apparently they were getting bombarded by the media and all sorts of crazy weirdos, so they're staying at the local hotel until the chaos dies down."

I recall Ness's mom and sister with a jolt of alarm. "Are they okay?"

"Yeah, they're fine. They should be able to return home soon. Master Hand's sending in help." He hesitates with one hand still on the phone handle. "Thanks for tagging along."

"It's nothing." I study his face in concern. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, everything's okay. Well, it isn't now. But it will be." Lowering the handle of the phone onto the receiver with a  _click,_  Ness stuffs both hands into his pockets. "Lucas, we're still friends... right?"

I nod again, this time more slowly. I'm unsure of where this is headed. I'm not sure if I want to know.

Ness takes a deep breath. "I think it's best... if I move out."

I blink. "Move out?" I say slowly.

Ness scratches the back of his neck. "You know, move out of our room. If the media knows that I'm gay and that you're rooming with me, well, I don't want you to get dragged into it..."

"You don't have to leave," I say suddenly, surprised at how upset I am at his words. When I woke up to Popo's frantic knocking and spotted Ness's spare keys by his pillow, it scared me more than I wanted to admit. I don't want to lose Ness as a friend. "I don't mind rooming with you."

"I know you don't." Ness suddenly finds his shoes interesting. "It's just...  _I_  mind. I need time to get over you."

My cheeks prickle. "...Oh."

While I'm touched that Ness has feelings for me, a part of me can't understand the reasoning behind his attraction. I'm awkward and antisocial. I'm just me.

I shuffle in place. Despite Ness's earnest words, I know that I've inadvertently caused him stress. I didn't expect my rejection to affect him so seriously. I knew Ness well - or at least, I  _thought_ I had. Growing up together, he's always been quick to point out a pretty girl or other, and I haven't been blind to his chemistry with Paula. Paula is a fierce marshmallow - tough enough to keep Ness in line, yet soft enough to shower him with the attention and affection he craved. And in the case Paula turned him down, Ness has decent looks and a confident charisma. I'm sure that many other teens would jump at a chance to date him.

But I'm not  _Paula._  I'm not  _many other teens_. I'm his best friend, and I'm not willing to risk our friendship for an obvious train-wreck. Simply put, I'm not interested in a relationship, and Ness deserves someone who is emotionally invested.

I avert my eyes to the ground. Is Ness keeping our friendship out of obligation? I hope not.

As if afraid that I've gotten the wrong impression, Ness suddenly grabs my hands in both of his. "N-Not that we can't be friends! Once I get over it, we can hang out like normal! Think of this as a hiatus. A break."

"A break," I echo.

"Yeah." Ness looks straight into my face. He's always worn his heart on his sleeve. I can tell that Ness is anxious, and that he doesn't want to lose me as a friend any more than I do.

I nod. "Sure."

Relief washes over Ness's face. Had he feared another rejection? Ness's eyes flicker up to my face before he hesitantly opens his arms. "Is this... okay?"

Obliging, I shuffle forward.

Ness's arms protectively curl around me, and I breathe out, trying to resist the involuntary urge to shrug him off. My personal discomfort can wait; Ness has always been there for me when I needed him, and I want to return the favor no matter how small.

But even after years of our friendship, I don't like to be touched. I don't like hugs - I don't like the way I feel trapped and constricted, I don't like how uncomfortably close his chest is to mine - but Ness squeezes me once, warm and reassuring, and slowly, I relax, lowering my guard. For several seconds, we sway in place, one of my hands awkwardly patting his back and both of Ness's arms wrapped around my neck. Then deciding that the hug lasted long enough, I gently take hold of his arms and push him away.

Or try to.

His head buried into my chest, Ness squeezes me tighter like he's never going to see me again. Like I'm about to walk out of his life. The fact that he's never brought up his parent's divorce sends a ripple of concern through my mind. I know that Ness is close to both of his parents, especially his dad. It must have killed him from the inside, wanting to but unable tell anyone about it.

"This isn't goodbye," I say quietly.

That seems to do the trick. Ness shifts against me and digs his fingers deeper into the back of my shirt. His voice sounds oddly thick. "I can't let go... Why can't I let go?"

Slowly, I rest my head atop his.

Jerking back, Ness pushes me away, then tugs the brim of his hat down to cover his face. I catch the hidden meaning behind the gesture. Ness doesn't want me to read his expression. He doesn't want me to see him upset.

My heart sinks like a stone.

"Well..." He turns on his heel. "See you."

"Bye," I echo.

Such a simple word had never sounded so cold before.

* * *

 

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~ _ **Chapter Six**_ ~

_**Stand Up Strong** _

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* * *

I hadn't always seen Ness as a brother.

There was once a time when I saw him as something more. I admired his strength, I admired his courage, I admired his ability to say whatever was on his mind - even though it usually led to disastrous consequences. Ness was so real, so  _genuine_ that he intrigued me - in a world where everybody hid their real intentions, I had never met anyone who looked more comfortable or at ease with himself. At first, the blind adoration I fostered for him confused me, and I began to suspect that my feelings for him were stronger than those for a friend.

But over time, I quickly came to my senses. It didn't take me long to realize that what I had for him was a one-sided puppy love, an old childhood crush. As my first friend and role model, he was everything I wasn't, and a part of me just wanted to be more like him. I wanted to be brave, I wanted to be strong, and Ness happened to be the embodiment of both.

The feelings quickly died after that.

But I've never seen Ness the same way since.

Uncertainly, I glance to the side. True to his word, Ness is moodily stabbing his potatoes at the very far end of my table. There are other vacant tables in the cafeteria, but he's chosen to sit in the same one. I don't blame him for the involuntary force of habit.

I absentmindedly flick over my broccoli. It's a little lonely not to hear him goofing off at my side. We're battlefield buddies, partners inseparable to the point that other smashers have grown accustomed to talking about us like we were one.  _Where's Ness and Lucas,_ they'd ask. Not Ness, not Lucas. Where one of us is, they assume the other is too.

But from the looks of it, everyone is giving us both a wide berth. They might not know exactly what's going on, but even the dimmest lightbulb sparked. Ness has feelings for someone, and we're avoiding each other. They can put two and two together.

For once, the cafeteria is deathly silent. All the smashers are goggling at us as if we're the newest zoo exhibit. We all know how much Master Hand frowns upon Interdimensional relationships, and no one knows how to deal with the sudden possibility that one of our number may potentially hold feelings - genuine feelings - for another. To even  _speak_  of the thought is taboo.

Ness is staring determinedly at his food, but his nerves are starting to leak out. His mental control is slipping, and I can tell from the way his silverware is becoming agitated. His fork shakes like a wind chime in his hand, breaking the silence with a shrill ringing tinkle - the only source of noise in the cafeteria. Occasionally there's the low whisper, a hiss of gossip aimed in our direction before it's hurriedly  _shushed_.

I'm contemplating about making a hasty escape out of the cafeteria just to avoid the unwanted staring when Ness's telepathic waves suddenly go haywire with anxiety.

Peach has stood up, her eyes blazing with pride. Her dress flutters in rising emotion. "Why aren't we talking?! Oh bollucks, I'm going ahead first." She takes a deep breath, but despite her motherly facade, I know that she is feeling just as unsettled as everyone else. "Ness... you did it. Oh, honey, I'm so proud of you-"

Evidently, Ness looks as stumped as I do. "I did what?"

"It was so very brave of you, dear, but I always knew that you had it in you."

Catching her drift, Ness gives a long suffering groan and tilts his head back. "Yes,  _I'm_   _gay._  Why is this such a big deal?!"

"Of course it's a big deal," Peach says kindly. "I know I speak for everyone when I say that we approve." She tenderly inches over a hand on his shoulder as if Ness is a very fragile piece of glass about to explode into thousand gay butterflies. "It's normal, dear. You're growing up. During puberty, you might start crushing on your best frien-"

"Crushing?" Ness squeaks. His face turns red. "Wha-Who said anything about a crush?"

Peach lowers her voice, but the cafeteria has dropped to a hushed silence. All of us can still hear her. "It was Lucas, wasn't it? You moved out because you liked him-"

"Peach, we're just friends."

Dabbing at her watery eyes with her handkerchief, Peach pats him on the head. Her voice sounds tremulous. "It must have been so hard..." Behind her, Wolf coughs into his French Onion soup, clearly trying not to laugh, but Peach only tears up more. "I told Mario. I  _told_  him that we needed a sex-ed class. We needed to teach you kids that it was all right to be different, but we didn't, and look at you now, confused over your poor feelings-"

Burying his head into his hands, Ness is wearing the expression of someone dying painfully on the spot.

"-we should all take a leaf from your book, dear. Encourage talking about our feelings. Let's break out of social norms, people! It's the twenty-first century!" Peach cranes her head into my direction. "What did Lucas say? Has he come out of the closet too, sweetie?"

My face burns, and I drop my head, pretending that I haven't heard her. I can feel everyone's eyes on me.

Ness sounds like he's constipated. "He... He's not..."

"Feel the burn," Wii Fit Trainer adds, doing another yoga Pilate.

When Ness stammers off into awkward silence, Peach motherly fusses over the wrinkles in his clothes.

I turn away.

After calling his mom, Ness has taken the news surprisingly well into stride. The extra support has boosted his confidence; whenever anyone brings up the dreaded question, he owns up to the truth with barely the blink of an eye. Ness can easily stand up for himself. I don't have to worry.

"Wahaha!"

My neck turns stiff. I poke my scrambled eggs.

"Hey-a, if you don't minda me asking-" Wario presses in, his black bushy mustache quivering with glee. "When's the big day?"

This man disturbs me. Something about his bulk and corporate greed make all the hairs on my neck stand on end.

Not catching my drift, Wario flits back into my line of sight like an annoying fly. He slumps down into a chair across the table and stares at me. "So... how did you two DO it? _"_ he says suddenly.

There's a collective gasp from the smashers.

Looking furious, Peach hoists up her frying pan. "Wario, I will  _not_  have you acting so vulgar and crude around the kids-"

"Kids? They're-a old enough to handle this," Wario snorts, picking his nose with a stubby pinky. "Anyway, the lil brat hasn't answered my question-"

Peach slams her pan onto the table. She's about two seconds away from going on an angry  _Cooking Mama_  rampage. "You know very well that they didn't  _do it_ , so move it and get back to your table!"

"You-a don't know for sure, princess-"

Feeling a stupid flush crawl up my face at the insinuation, I do my best to ignore him. Wario isn't worth my time. He's only shooting out baseless insults in the hopes of intimidating me, and I'm not going to show him that he gets under my skin.

His voice quickly turns irritated. "Wa! Don't give me that look when I'm a-talking to you!" he snaps, then smacks the back of my head so hard that it leaves my ears ringing from the blow.

Bemused by his antics, I spare him a slow blink. Catching sight of my detached expression, Wario's face falls. He likes getting a rise out of people, all for the expense of fun, and my lack of interest instantly turns him off.

Sulking, he gives me a lousy shove in the shoulder. "Loser-"

"Pick on somebody else your own size!" Ness yells, rising from the far end of our table.

Everyone stares at him.

I want to slap myself silly. Of course, I should've known that Ness would've risen to the bait. Even while trying to avoid me, Ness doesn't plan to let any insult towards me slide.

"Waha...?" Turning to face him, Wario grins, baring his uneven teeth like a serrated shark. "Well, if isn't our resident  _gayboy-_ "

"Yeah, I am," Ness says angrily. "You got a problem with that?"

"Oh, no. No problem at all. Wa. Wahaha!" Wario dances over, then slaps him hard on the back. Infuriated, Ness flings his empty milk carton after him, but the fat man runs off, still cackling, "Just-a wait til the shipping starts! It's gonna be  _golden!"_

Cursing under his breath, Ness bangs his head against the table. "I hate Italians," he mutters loudly.

Luigi, who conveniently happened to be passing by, throws him a hurt look, then inches away.

"Crap, Luigi! I didn't-" Luigi hurries out of the cafeteria, and frustrated, Ness slams both of his palms against the table. "Damn it!"

 _Don't take Wario seriously,_ I say.

 _Yeah, well at least one of us has to take him seriously,_ Ness snaps back.

Lowering my eyes to my plate, I return to picking at my food. There's no point in trying to convince Ness if he refuses to see the truth. Ness means well, but with each passing day, it's growing harder to endure his mood swings.

Then as if remembering that he wasn't supposed to be talking to me, Ness lets out another frustrated noise, slams his tray onto the table, then stalks off.

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~oO0Oo~

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Later that night, the repercussions of our agreement begin to hit me. Unable to sleep, I crack open the window to let cold air into the room.

Ness is staying over at Popo's for the time being until Master Hand has an open room.

The temporary separation had been mutual. Ness wanted to get over his feelings. I'd agreed to give him space.

But now, seeing the second twin bed devoid of a familiar figure shoots no small pang of pain into my chest. It brings back familiar memories. Sad memories. Unhappy memories.

No matter how much I want to believe, Ness isn't my twin brother. Ness has a mom and a dad of his own. Ness has a sibling of his own to look after, a younger sister to play the role of  _Big Brother_ for. In the end, Ness is a different person from Claus, an entirely different person with different desires and different needs.

I've done the unforgivable. I've replaced Ness for someone he is not.

Ashamed, I clench the edge of the windowsill with rigid fingers. It's unintentional, I know. Somewhere, deep down, a part of me has accepted that my runaway twin brother isn't missing, but  _gone._ That he's already passed on. I wake up from dreams that I can no longer remember, dreams that I can't understand. A dying body in my arms. A last breath. A final promise.

All smashers are invited to the tournaments on account of their famous deeds. They are accomplished fighters, skilled mages, brave warriors, sly manipulators. In my case, Master Hand approved of me himself. An exception.

" _Your adventure was a difficult one,"_ he said. " _Strange. Funny. Heartrending. But difficult."_

And that's the worst part. I can't remember anything about my adventure. As far as I can remember, I've gone on  _no_  adventure. I've lived in Onett all my life. Even when my mother passed away. Even when my brother ran away. I was born in Onett, raised in Onett, and grew up in Onett. I haven't done anything remotely  _hero-worthy,_  or  _villain-worthy,_  or even  _noteworthy_  for that matter. While Ness went on a quest to save the world, I was just another kid with psychic powers.

My skin crawls.  _What am I forgetting?_

I wish I can remember.

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~oO0Oo~

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Wednesday morning passes without incident. Boisterous laughter tells me that Ness is leaving the gym with Popo, so I quickly duck out of their way into another corridor. The fewer the bump-ins, the less awkward. And the less awkward, the better.

However, fate doesn't seem to be on my side. Because by the end of the day, I've encountered too many "almost run-ins" for them all to be coincidence. No matter how hard I try, Ness would miraculously happen to stumble across me. As a psychic, either I'm horrible at avoiding him, or he's trying to find me.

Neither of which makes sense.

So when Red miraculously gives me a lucky save by distracting Ness in the cafeteria, I make a break for the the loneliest floor in Smash Mansion: the second floor library. Reading takes my mind off of things, and I gladly take this opportunity to my advantage. Perching atop of one of the taller bookshelves, I nestle into my secret hideout against the frowning face of  _Oliver Twist,_  and begin to read.

Needless to say, it fails.

A gentle cough catches my attention, and surprised, I spot someone lingering in the doorway. Ness shuffles forward, rubbing the back of his neck.

I sigh, closing my book. "Ness, if you're here to apologize again-"

"I miss you."

Stunned, my voice trails off.

Ness is staring determinedly at his shoes, but a red flush is beginning to color his cheeks. Mortified, he quickly pulls the brim of his cap over his face. "Lucas... I-I miss you. I miss hanging out with you, e-even if you might not feel the same way-"

I can't stop the sad tone from escaping into my voice. "Ness."

"Fuck. Fuck, I can't-" Wiping his eyes on his sleeve, Ness whirls on his heel. "Nevermind, forget I said anything-"

"I missed you too."

Ness halts in his tracks.

Unable to catch his expression, I lower the book into my lap. "I missed you too," I admit again, suddenly feeling shy. When is the last time we've struck a decent conversation? Come to think of it, I don't remember hanging out with him since Sunday.

As if not daring to believe, Ness slowly faces me with wide eyes. He coughs. "Um, you want to go blast some aliens? O-Or we can read," he adds quickly, looking around the library. "Wow... books. I TOTALLY love books!"

I can't help but crack a small grin at that. "I thought you hated reading."

"Not true!" Ness insists, picking a random book off the shelf. " _Thirty Ways to Bake Mashed Potatoes._ Man, I've always wanted to read this-"

I let out a quiet laugh under my breath. "Ness."

His shoulders slump over. "Yeah, okay."

"Aliens?"

"Aliens."

Ten minutes later, we're lying on the floor of our room with Ness's legs sprawled over my back. Flashes of color wash over Ness's face as he jams the joystick, peppering the silence with a series of rapid-fire  _pewpewpews._

Emitting a wordless exclamation, Ness slams down his PS2 controller and throws me a look of disbelief. "What tHE HELL. You shot me!"

"Sorry," I say, not sounding sorry at all. I don't bother stifling the grin, knowing that it'll blow my cover anyway.

Ness quickly catches on. He rolls his eyes and resumes the game, blasting another alien out of the way. The alien gives a nasty screech as its purple guts explode onto the screen.

Turning my head over, I watch him play. Resting on his elbows, Ness doesn't notice me, his eyes glued faithfully to the television screen, but despite the look of fierce determination burning in his deep frown, his shoulders have relaxed. In the heat of the video game, Ness is de-stressing, returning back to his old confident self.

I'm glad for the reprieve. Gaming is a nice break. It's a welcome reprieve to forget about all of our worries for the time being. Satisfied, I return my attention back to the screen.

Half a second later, the game spews out a sad  _doo-doo-doo._

I blink. "Huh. We died."

Ness lightly punches me on the shoulder. "You were distracted."

I stretch out my arms, feeling the bones in my shoulder pop. "Mm."

His legs still draped over my back, Ness rests his head into the carpet. "I smell cheese."

"Don't rub your face into the carpet. You have no idea who last stepped on it."

The carpet vibrates from his muffled voice. "Lighten up, Lucas. This is our room." He pauses. "No, wait... it's yours."

And just like that, the heavy tension is back.

As if realizing our close contact, Ness quickly withdraws his legs from my back. A part of me can't help but feel disappointed. The sudden lack of warmth is a little disarming. I lean forward to flick the game console off. "So, what now?"

"I dunno," Ness mutters, uncomfortably tugging the bill of his cap down. "Whatever you wanna do, I guess."

Floundering for something to do, I awkwardly rest a hand on his shoulder. It's a strange, but strangely exhilarating feeling, having to initiate something on my own. "We can... nap."

Ness snorts. "Great idea."

"Naps are great," I decide, curling up against the cheese-smelling carpet.

From the corner of my vision, Ness throws me an incredulous look. "Wait, here?"

"Yeah."

"Weirdo."

"Good night."

Something soft lands on my face. I open my eyes to a fuzzy ball of white fluff. "If you're going to sleep, then at least take a pillow, you lil shit," Ness says fondly from above, but through the pillow it sounds muffled like he's underwater.

I swat it aside. "Now you're getting germs on your precious pillow."

"Not today. I vacuumed the carpet," Ness announces. He sounds very pleased of himself, like he's done us a service by doing the chore he's supposed to do for the week.

So I decide to knock his ego down a notch, and roll over to ruffle his hair. "Good boy."

"URg, you... Augh!" Wriggling away, Ness bats my hand off. "Oh, screw off," he says crossly.

"It's okay, Ness. I understand that my jokes fly  _over your head_ -"

Ness puffs up his cheeks. "I'm warning you-"

"-and you have a very  _short_ temper-"

"Don't you dare-"

"-but I'll always be one  _step_  ahead of you."

"Fucking shiT," Ness cries, jolting up to grab his pillow and fling it into my face. I dodge the projectile by rolling over onto my back, but my sides are already splitting from mirth. I haven't laughed myself stupid like this in a long time.

Ness buries his furiously blushing face into his hands. "Jesus. Palutena save me."

While I tend to avoid jokes that  _genuinely_  make Ness upset, he knows that everything else is up for grabs. I watch him in growing amusement. "Do you have Napoleon complex?"

"God, I love and hate you so muchh."

"Sorry, height jokes are too fun to pass up-"

"Fine, let's see how much  _you_  like it," he snaps. "How's the weather up there?"

"Pretty good, thanks. I can see the clouds."

"Yippee for you."

I pause, gauging his tone. I've made a mistake. Ness doesn't look like he's having fun, and I should've known better than to have cracked height puns when he's not in the best of moods. "...I'm sorry," I say, this time trying to sound remorseful.

As predicted, Ness loses the angry look in his eyes. His shoulders sag, and he lets out a light sigh. "Fuck." Staring at me, he rubs his eyes with a free hand. "Fuck," he repeats. "You can't just... fucking damn it. Stop looking at me like that."

"Okay."

"And quit being a smartass."

"Okay."

"And stop stealing my taunt. That's not cool."

"Okay."

"..."

"Accident. Won't happen again." I crack a small grin.  _"Okay?"_

Grumpy now, Ness shoves a hand into my laughing face.  _"_ That's it, we're not friends anymore."

"Wait-" I try.

"Nope. We're done. I officially declare war on you."

I muse over making a peace treaty. Too much effort? Too much effort. I lay back down. "Okay, goodbye forever."

I should've known better. Ness never backs down from a challenge, and I speak from firsthand experience because five seconds later, Ness flies out of nowhere and dive-tackles me onto the floor.

Ness sits up on my back and grins triumphantly like he's found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. "Ha. Who's laughing now?"

"This is cruel and unusual punishment," I gasp, because he's crushed the air out of my poor lungs. Ness smiles wider, in no mood to cease and desist, so I clumsily bat at the brim of his cap. "Hey, get off. I wanna sleep."

His happy cheer doesn't sound the least bit affected. "Sure. You just sleep right there."

Wary now, I crack my eyes open. "What are you-"

Then Ness tickles my sides.

I almost jump out of my own skin.  _"Stoo-ooppp,"_  I gasp through helpless laughter. "Nooo-"

He doesn't. Obviously.

Knowing all my weak points, the traitor lunges for my ticklish neck, but expecting the low blow, I roll him off and press my hands into his face. Cracking a smirk, Ness grabs my shirt as he falls, forcing me to topple over, and while we're roughhousing on the carpet, he quickly changes tactics and seizes me by the ankles.

I scrabble at the carpet. "No, no, no, mercy, have mercy-"

Ness drags me into the bathroom then drops me onto the cold tiles. "There, you've been exiled. The carpet is no longer yours," he says sternly.

"This is a travesty, I'm telling you. A  _travesty."_

"Travesty, my ass. _"_

"I will end you," I cry valiantly, before promptly slipping on the carpet and falling flat on my face.

The floor has made a mockery out of me. 

It's the last straw. Both of us start cracking up like idiots, and I'm laughing so hard that when I try to stand, I end up stumbling and face-planting  _again_  into the carpet. At the stupid sight, Ness practically  _cries_  with mirth _,_  clutching his sides with tears escaping from his eyes.

"I'm dying," Ness rasps, bent double on his knees. "Go save yourself, I can't go on-"

"No, you're too young to die!" I cry, gripping his shoulders in growing hysteria. "Fight it, fight the power, Ness-"

"It's too late, I can see the light-"

Thankfully our sanity returns... somewhat... which leaves me free to fall facefirst into bed, exhausted out of my mind. A nagging thought tells me that I've forgotten to change out of my sweaty clothes, but I ignore it. I have to wash the sheets later anyways. I close my eyes, more than ready for sleep.

Except that I can't sleep. A certain somebody keeps shuffling back and forth by the bedside. Disgruntled by the bothersome noise, I crack my eyes open.

Ness gazes mournfully at my sheets.

I groan, "Please tell me you're joking."

"I don't know, okay?" Ness whines, all the while resembling a kicked puppy. "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"I'm not asking you to nap with me."

"I know! But I want to! If you're okay with it!"

I frown. That hasn't stopped Ness before. Nightmares are fought best with a close friend at hand; I can't remember the number of times I've crawled into his bed after a nightmare and vice versa. Many times. Too many times to count, too many nights sharing happy dreams and whispered laughter until the other fell asleep. It may have sounded odd, but old habits die hard, and being psychic creates an intimacy beyond the usual friendship. We're like brothers, close siblings who go everywhere and do everything together. Small wonder that I'm surprised by Ness's sudden hesitation. I haven't even thought twice about it until he brought it up.

Now that he has, I'm starting to wonder if it's  _normal_  for two friends to share the same bed. It's hard to say. Ness and I aren't exactly normal, not by human standards, and while some came close, no one else on the roster is a teenage psychic. I've seen all sorts of platonic exchanges in the mansion - Ike giving Cloud a bro-hug, Samus braiding Zelda's hair, Wolf fist-bumping Snake.

But sleeping together?

The back of my neck begins to prickle. For heaven's sake, is Ness  _trying_  to blow everything out of proportion?

"You're right. Maybe this was a bad idea," I begin, pushing myself up. "I can nap later-"

"No, it's okay, you should sleep," Ness says quickly. "I don't mind, it's just... awkward. Sleeping with you. I mean,  _fuck-"_  Ness looks ready to die. "Y-You know what I mean!"

"It's only awkward if you make it awkward," I say, feeling my own face burn. I don't know what to think of Ness's newfound awkwardness. Ness is never awkward. Ness was  _never_  awkward. Last year, Ness wouldn't have known the definition of awkward if someone tried slapping a dictionary into his face. Now, he's as awkward, if not more so, than I am.

Ness, awkward? Perhaps the world has finally gone mad. I rub my eyes with a grunt. Seriously, Ness can do whatever the hell he wants, because I'm going to squeeze in a few winks before tonight starts for good.

Ness watches me with a worried frown. "You look like a zombie. You're not getting sick, are you?"

"Course not." Doubtful, Ness peers into my face, and I offer a sheepish grin. Guilt pricks my sleepy subconscious. I didn't mean to worry him. "Ness, it's nothing that I can't handle."

"You know what, you  _really_  don't look all right," Ness declares, making up his mind. "I'll stay right here until you fall asleep."

"Mm."

Ness's socks  _paff_  into the carpet, and the mattress creaks under his weight when he crawls under the covers.

I make a soft noise of disgust. "Take your shoes off."

With a sheepish grin, Ness kicks his tennis shoes off, then takes several steps back. A second later, he dive-bombs into my bed, sending shockwaves across the walls as the bedposts screech across the carpet. Alarmed by the sudden momentum, I bump the back of my head against the headboard.

"Ow," I wince, rubbing the painful knot on my head. "Overkill much?"

Apologetically, Ness curls up beside me. "Oops. Couldn't resist."

Unable to stop myself, I stifle a yawn.

The bed creaks again. Crashing loud against my ears, Ness's heavy breaths break the silence. The tips of his warm fingers barely ghost over the back of my hand before they halt, tickling my frozen skin.

"Is this okay?" Ness whispers.

He's pushing his luck. We both know it.

I don't respond.

Ness lets go of my hand.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy reading! :)


	7. Losing Myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ness continues to struggle with his feelings.  
> Lucas tries to understand.

 

**_~Prologue~_ **

I don't think that either of us were able to sleep.

The absence of Lucas's breathy sighs tell me that he's still awake. It doesn't take a genius to see that Lucas is uncomfortable. Heck, I don't blame him. I may as well have  _asked_  for another rejection. Lucas isn't sending me mixed signals. He's made his point clear. He isn't interested in me more than a friend, and I'm not going anywhere with trying.

About a minute of lying down, I can't handle the tension. I get up. Lucas doesn't stop me. His silence, in some ways, hurts the most. Twisting the bathroom door shut behind me, I grip the sink and try not to think about our crumbling friendship.

Ever since my dad's divorce, I've constantly felt like a ticking time bomb. I exploded at the tiniest things. I've noticed the cautious looks thrown my way, the hushed whispers cast in my direction.

My dad left me in the blink of an eye. No words, no letters. What guarantee do I have that Lucas won't do the same?

I'm losing everything in my life. I lost my dad. I lost my temper.

I can't lose Lucas too.

In the end, my hunger forces me to leave. Lucas obviously isn't in the mood to talk, so I walk down alone. I know that I have to make everything up for him somehow, so I swipe a deli sandwich that looks reasonably warm from the oven, and deciding against a sit-in meal, retrace my steps to the suite. Even after my short detour to the cafeteria, Lucas is still lying in the same position that I left him. Unwrapping the warm sandwich in my hands, I stop and shoot a hesitant glance in his direction. "Hey, you awake? It's dinnertime."

Lucas stirs. "Did you eat."

He's trying to divert the topic. I don't take the bait. "I did. You should too," I say stubbornly.

"I'll grab something soon."

A fat lie, if I ever saw one. I poke the limp sandwich in his direction. "I brought back food."

"Keep it. You'll grow hungry later-"

"It's for you."

Did I say that falling in love sucks? Because it does. It changes you into someone you aren't. Last year, I would've slapped Lucas in the face with the sandwich, all in the name of playful fun. Now, standing before him with my feelings bared, I feel myself shrinking under the force of his bright blue eyes. Lucas has a way of making me feel small without trying; his maturity, which has always been a welcome aspect of his character, now serves to intimidate me.

Lucas slowly slides himself over to the edge of the bed. Every tense muscle in his body bespeaks caution. "Thanks, but you don't have to worry about me."

I wince at the way he says those words. "It's not... like that." My feet shift in place. "Although I wouldn't mind us, you know. Becoming more."

Wrong response. Lucas doesn't look happy. Visibly upset, his eyes meet mine. "You know that I can't reciprocate your feelings. Why do you keep on trying?"

"Then give me a chance. Maybe things will change."

_"Ness."_

I ignore his warning. "We can try going out on a date. You can call the shots-"

"It won't work out-"

"You never know!" I beg, dropping onto my knees. "I can't help how I feel about you, but does it have to stay like this? I don't want anything between us to change. We can still be like friends. Me liking you isn't going to change any of that." Lucas doesn't respond. Anguished, I press the warm sandwich against his stiff hands. The salami sadly flops out of the buns. "Why won't you give me a chance? It's me, isn't it? What did I do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"Give me one chance, Lucas. It's all I'm asking for-"

"It's all a part of growing up," Lucas says softly, watching the floor. "It's not easy, but I know that you can overcome it."

In that split second, his words crash down on my ears. Lucas has never -  _not once_  - taken my feelings seriously. "No. You don't understand. I  _like_  you." Uncomfortable, Lucas turns away, and my panic rises. I probably sound desperate, but I have to convince him. With every word, I'm losing him. I'm losing my best friend. No longer thinking, I grab his skinny shoulders and force him to meet my eyes.  _"Look at me!"_

His blue eyes swallow me up.

Then a ripple of fear flickers across his features. I barely catch it before Lucas closes up entirely, his expression turning hard. He roughly shoves me aside and marches into the bathroom. The lock clicks shut.

Lucas stayed locked in the bathroom for the rest of the night. No matter how much I pleaded, no matter how much I apologized, he wouldn't open the door. Through our brief eye contact, Lucas had read my mind. He saw how deeply I'd fallen for him.

I've pushed him away for good.

Staring at the back of my hands, I try hard not to cry.

* * *

 

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 _ **~ Chapter**_ _ **Seven**_ ~

_**Losing Myself** _

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* * *

"Hey." Someone pokes my head. "Yo, dude. Wakey, wakey."

I groan and crack my eyes open. Popo's face swims in my vision.

"Never would've pegged you for someone who'd camp out in the library," Popo says sympathetically. "Poor rejected sap."

Blindly brushing off  _Organic Chemistry 7th ed._  from my face, I jolt into sitting position. Yesterday night, I ended up crashing in the library. Staying in the apartment wasn't a sound option, and returning to Popo's place was even worse. It would've led to some unwelcome questions, and I was sick of receiving pity. Thankfully, the library had bathrooms. I didn't have to worry about looking like I'd cried myself to sleep.

God, I'm so pathetic.

"How-" I start.

Popo rolls his eyes. "The library? It's the unofficial breakup-slash-makeup room. No one ever comes in here to read unless you're Lucas, Marth, Robin, or Zelda, and seeing as you're none of the above, I figured you'd be in here for other reasons." Popo prods his hammer into my shoulder. "So I ask thee, Romeo. What the fuck happened to you?"

"Like I'm telling you."

"Bro, really?" Popo complains.

"You left me wasted at a bar," I say bitterly. "I'm not telling you anything."

Popo considers this. "Fair enough, man," he says evenly. "I wouldn't have brought you along if I knew you couldn't handle it. Didn't mean to get you outed from the closet, but at least you finally got that off your chest. How do you feel?"

"Like crap."

He winces. "I really am sorry about that."

"S'okay," I mutter.

Settling down beside me, Popo warmly claps a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, now. Spill."

I can't even phrase the calamity of yesterday into words. Last night was a disaster. If THAT isn't a clusterfuck, I'm not sure what is. I think of the terrified look on Lucas's face when I grabbed his shoulders.

I don't ever want Lucas to wear that expression again.

Something about Popo's encouragement draws the words right out of my mouth. "I made another pass on Lucas," I blurt out. Horrified, I bury my face into my hands.

Suddenly Popo starts to crack up.

My face burns up like a toaster. "What's so funny?" I snap from between my fingers.

"I'm just trying to imagine h-his face!" Popo chokes out, gasping. "I bet he was terrified."

I miserably sink into a pile of books. "He locked himself in the bathroom."

"Of course he would. He's the densest guy I've met, and that's saying a lot. I bet Lucas wouldn't have recognized his own feelings even if it danced the tango naked in front of him." Popo shakes his head. "Ah, Nessie. Bro. You screwed up big time, but hey, that's a part of the learning curve. You divebomb your first guy so you can charm the second." Popo hoists up his hammer and offers me a hand. "C'mon, Romeo. Stop moping and hit the pancakes."

I feel a bit better. Slightly.

"Popo." He turns around, raising his eyebrows. I hesitate. "Uh, thanks. I needed that."

He cheerfully claps me on the back. "Don't mention it. That's what bros are for."

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~oO0Oo~

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It doesn't end there.

We meet Nana in the lobby. She clips her brother in the ear, berating him for showing up late, and Popo bemoans that he was out helping "Romeo get over his unrequited crush." This leads to Nana pestering me with questions, and I end up telling her the entire story.

We've almost arrived at the cafeteria when Nana  _conveniently_  drops out that she saw Lucas this morning. Apparently, he was looking for me.

This leads to a ten-minute freakout session where I try to scramble away from the cafeteria, because I'm scared as shit, but the Ice Climber twins drag me to my doom because they are evil incarnations of Satan and want to see me suffer.

"Ness," Nana grunts, hauling me forward by the arms. "You can't hide from him forever-"

"Fuck no!" I say, but my voice cracks into a high squeak. "Lucas is going to  _kill_  me!"

Popo rubs his hands in ill-suppressed glee. "Oh man, this is going to be good-"

"And you," Nana pinches him over by the ear. "Shut up and help me-"

"Ow okay, I'm on it." Uncertain over how to "help" his sister, since Nana's doing a pretty good job of dragging me over on her own, Popo pats me on the head. "Uh... it was nice knowing you, bro."

"Thanks," I say gloomily.

Now I'm listening to them trying to talk me out of chickening out.

"Really, Ness." Popo frowns. "Get over it, man. Lucas rejecting you isn't the end of the world. There's like a ton of hot blondes out there-"

Morose, I hang my head. "I don't care about other guys."

"You're setting yourself up for trouble. If Lucas is as straight as you say, then there's nothing you can do to change his mind-" When Fox and Falco pass by, Nana moves in closer, lowering her voice in worry. "Ness, if you keep harassing him, then you're only going to drive him away. At this rate, you'd be lucky to have Lucas as a friend."

"If I haven't scared him off already," I mutter under my breath. No shit. I practically  _forced_  myself onto him last night. I remember the cornered look in Lucas's eyes, and my stomach plummets like a stone. What was I thinking? That Lucas would agree to go on a pity date with me? I didn't think that I could sink so low.

Popo gives me a push. "Maybe it's for the best. Lucas has a good point-"

"When  _doesn't_  he?"

"He's trying to protect you," Nana says quietly. "Think about it, Ness. If things didn't work out, what do you think would've happened to your friendship? Lucas isn't rejecting you because he's trying to make you suffer. He wants you to be happy. That's why he's not leading you on, and you've got to accept that."

"It's too late for that now. I'd be lucky if he even talks to me anymore," I mumble miserably.

"Well, it  _was_  your fault. If I were him, I would've slapped you in the face," she says bluntly, and I wince. "Apologize. You don't have anything to lose, do you? If he doesn't hold it against you, then all you need to do is realize that he doesn't like you in that way and move o-" Nana cuts herself off in startled surprise. "L-Lucas!"

Startled, I lift my head.

As silent as a ghost, Lucas stands in front of the cafeteria with his shoulders slumped. He's staring fixedly at the floor.

Popo steps forward, opening his mouth to speak when Nana makes a quick save, nabbing him away by the ear. As she drags themselves past us in a hasty exit, my stomach twists. I almost wish that they stayed. The entire lobby is empty save for the two of us.

Lucas stays silent, so I take that as the cue to make the first move. I clear my throat. "Did you sleep last night?"

Lucas gives me a jerky nod.

"That's..." I swallow down the lump in my throat. "That's good."

"Our match is moved to tomorrow," he says.

"Cool," I say hoarsely.

More silence.

Lucas stuffs his hands into his pockets. If possible, his shoulders sag even more. "Do you... want to grab breakfast," he asks, his eyes trailing up the ceiling. His voice sounds infuriatingly neutral.

Not for the first time, I wish that he isn't so difficult to read.

But a part of me registers his words. Lucas hasn't mentioned the incident at all. By some miraculous stroke of luck, has he forgiven me?

I start, "Lucas, about yesterday-"

He coughs. "Don't mention it."

Grateful, I feel my own face perk up into a smile. "Okay."

Lucas hesitates. Embarrassed, he drops his eyes to the floor. "Sorry... for locking you out of the bathroom."

"Dude, no. I'm sorry," I insist. I want to reach for his hands and squeeze them to reassure him that it's all fine, that I'm at fault here, that he's done nothing wrong, that I  _scared_  him, but touching him now doesn't seem like a good idea. I swallow down my nerves and keep my hands fixed at my side.

His eyes uncertainly meet mine. "Do you..."

"We're not mentioning it," I say quickly, repeating his words from earlier, and Lucas breaks into a hint of a smile. It's barely noticeable, but I notice because of how the corners of his eyes soften slightly.

My heart soars.

Despite the awkward start, by noon, we're talking like nothing has happened. Determined not screw up, I take extra precautions. I keep my hands in my pockets so that our hands won't brush against each other. I don't sling my arm over his shoulder. We keep telepathy to a minimum. It feels too intimate, almost as if I'm breaching his privacy. What Lucas was thinking is none of my business, and I respond in kind only when he did. More than once, I find him carefully watching me throughout our conversation, and I would avert my gaze away from the mercy of his eyes.

Two strikes. Three, and I'll be out. I can't strike out, not when our friendship's the cost.

With a sudden bang of wood on wall, Master Hand bursts out of his office. He screeches to a halt behind us, then roughly taps Lucas on the shoulder with a giant index finger.

Lucas starts violently at the touch.

Master Hand declines an explanation.  **"You have an urgent call."**

Perplexed, Lucas has barely opened his own mouth in the hint of a question when our gloved manager grabs him by the arm and drags him back into his office. As Lucas clumsily waves me goodbye, almost stumbling into the wall, I stifle a small grin. He  _really_  can't catch a break, can he? Shaking my head, I hurry off to the training arena instead, and try to block out how adorable Lucas's sheepish smile is.

Pickier people may not have found Lucas attractive. A few stubborn freckles linger on his nose like dark acne scars, marring his otherwise unblemished face. In terms of build, Lucas is tall and gangly; he isn't buff and ripped like Ike, and despite sharing the same delicate frame, isn't as developed as Marth. In short, Lucas is still stuck in the teenage hell called _growth spurts_ , and on top of that, he radiates this terrifying awkwardness in his eyes that screams, "I hate people STAY AWAY FROM ME."

But over the years, he's lost a lot of baby fat from his angular face. I like that he's lean and skinny for his height, even though he's slightly self-conscious over it. I like the way he speaks in halting, hesitant pauses whenever he struggles to keep train of thought, or the way he makes every question sound like a flat statement. I like how he speaks in a dull monotone like he doesn't care, because it's just the way his voice  _sounds_ , level and even, and I like hearing it, because it keeps me grounded. I like his cool composure, and I like every time he would break it to goof off. I like that he didn't lose all of his freckles - it reminds me that he hasn't completely changed from the scruffy neighborhood kid down the block - and I think that they look cute, especially when he smiles.

Yet, despite his slim build, Lucas couldn't be mistaken for a girl. His hips are too narrow, his shoulders too broad, his chest too flat. If that miraculously doesn't convince anyone, his voice is a blatant giveaway. Lucas is no Batman, but his voice has grown deep enough to sound masculine. Attractively masculine.

Stuffing my keys into my locker, I enter a training room and adjust its settings to  _no items_. For the longest time, I thought I was as straight as a ruler. I'd plastered posters of the All Star Singer  _Venus_  all over my room. I'd had my own share of embarrassing crushes in grade school. Not proud, but I had a stash of sexy magazines hidden in the closet. That ought to have spoken for itself.

But my feelings didn't lie. I could appreciate Lucas in the same way that I could appreciate a good-looking girl... except that Lucas wasn't a girl. My face starts to burn. It didn't make sense. Lucas is a  _guy._ I am a  _guy._  I don't know how it happened, but somewhere down the line, my brain went oopsie-daisy and screwed up my feelings for my best friend.

So I distract myself.

Brawling. Think brawling.

When Sandbag blinks up at me in the training rooms, I crack my knuckles. Finally, something that makes sense.

But before I can wind up my fist, Toon Link pokes his head into my training room. He's dressed in his usual Windwaker uniform, but the thick mascara and eyeliner on his eyes speak enough about where he's been. "Ness, you're airing tonight at seven."

"I thought my brawl was moved to tomorrow."

"Yeah, but they wanted to finish all interviews today."

"Thanks. I'll head over then," I say, not keeping my eyes off of Sandbag.

Taking a pause, Toon sheathes his sword and sinks into a crouch. "That bad, huh?" he says quietly.

I lower my hands. I can't deny the tight feeling in my chest. Of course, Toon would know. For heaven's sake, what Popo knew, all of us eventually found out. "More than you think," I croak.

"You have to let it go."

I give a hollow laugh. "It's easier said than done. I'm trying. It's not working."

"You'll get over him."

Struck by his conviction, I study Toon up close, because outside the battlefield, I underestimate him for his age. He's not  _that_  much younger than me, not by long shot, but he's always seemed so childish trailing behind his surrogate brother.

Great. Now I'm stewing in the misery called  _heartbreak_  and speaking my heart out to a fourteen-year-old kid. The feels are threatening to engulf me, so I deal with them the best way I know how.

I grab my bat. "You, me. One vee one. Let's spar."

Toon Link blinks. "Your interview-"

"Fuck that, we've got time."

Forget a good idea. This is the  _best_  idea I've had in ages. I had a feeling that Toon had been planning on going easy on me after hearing about my crushing failure of a love life, but after attacking him with a flurry of strikes, he presses back in a furious counter of his own. Good ol' Toon. I can count on his competitive nature to keep me up to date.

I don't know how long I've spent in the training arena, but by the time I'm trudging out in noticeably higher spirits, the sun is already down.

My entire body feels like shit. I am aching and sore all over.

In three words: _it's fucking awesome_.

I unlock the deadbolt and trudge inside the apartment. Lucas lifts his head up from the couch when he hears me. He looks relieved. "I was just about to look for you. Our interview's at seven."

I dig into my closet for a fresh change of shirt and pants. Just a simple change will do. The prep team's going to redress me anyway. "Heard you loud and clear. About to take a shower. You mind if I use the bathroom?"

Lucas shook his head, and I hurry past. Stopping in front of the mirror, I roll my shoulders with a laugh. "Holy shit, I feel sore."

"Where."

"Everywhere."

Lucas eyes my shoulders in concern. "Turn around," he says suddenly.

"What?" I spin on my heel. "Um... like this? Why? What are you- _oooooh..."_  I can't help it. His hands are like magic, kneading my shoulders  _exactly_  the right way. I roll back my head back and sigh, shivering as his cool fingers press into my back. "Mmmm..."

I hear him laugh quietly under his breath. "My dad does physical labor for a living," he admits, pushing against another sweet spot. "His shoulders get hard, so I do this to make sure that he can work the next day."

His hands go lower, dipping underneath my shoulder blades. I close my eyes, basking in the soothing sensation, because fuck, it feels amazing. That's Lucas for you. He has all sorts of hidden talents I never would've expected, because they sound so impossibly random and out-of-the-blue. Like climbing trees. Or skipping stones. But each one somehow clicks perfectly with his character.

I don't think I'll ever understand him completely. Lucas is an enigma in his own way.

The incredible feeling trails down my sore muscles to the small of my back. Before I know it, his hands have landed on the hem of my shorts.

I tense. Sensing my sudden discomfort, Lucas stops.

Embarrassed, I push his hands away. "Thanks, but you know, unless if you're trying to make a move on me, going any lower might be a little..."

Catching my drift, Lucas's face burns a brilliant red. "Oh."

"Don't get me wrong. I liked it! The massage, I mean!" I say quickly before he can apologize. "It's just, I'm trying to get over my feelings for you, so-"

"I get it," Lucas says softly.

I hate moments like this. Before, stuff like slapping each other on the back and borrowing clothes was normal. We liked doing stupid shit together. We were the unstoppable partners-in-crime, no questions asked.

But ever since I confessed my feelings to Lucas, it was as if I had tapped some unseen door. I felt hypersensitive to his every reaction, freaked out over every twitch of his eye. Everything we do now is awkward. Talking? Oh man, talking is worse. I feel like I have to clarify my intentions so they aren't taken the wrong way. And if intimate actions like hugging and holding hands were hard to begin with, they are practically impossible to do with Lucas now.

I clear my throat. "So, what do you want to do after the interview? We can fool around."

Lucas's face turns a brighter red.

"Not like that!" I say hastily, feeling another hot surge of blood rush into my cheeks. Stupid double-meanings. "I was thinking that we could play MarioKart tonight! Or League. I mean, we haven't played either in a while-"

"Maybe another time," Lucas says carefully.

His cheeks are still a faint pink. I bite down on my lip. A part of my ego should have been crushed, because Lucas is right, but he's so cute when he's right. Fuck it, it takes all of my self control not to drag him over by his stupid shirt and kiss him on the spot.

"Right," I croak, and the words glue themselves to my mouth. "W-Well... maybe tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow sounds good." His eyes flicker to mine. "As friends."

Pain shoots into my chest. "As friends," I say heavily, feeling like each word is killing me on the inside.

Lucas's eyes soften with sympathy.

There's another uncomfortable moment as I think of something else to say, and Lucas studies his shoes. It sucks to be friend-zoned, and I begin to feel for Paula.

Without meeting my eyes, Lucas steps out of the bathroom. "I have to go. Catch you later."

The door clicks shut behind him.

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~oO0Oo~

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As wicked awesome as it sounds, Smash City represents our feats in video games.

As a video game celebrity, I've only seen my game cartridge once.  ** _Earthbound_  **is a rarity. It went out of production before it became a late hit, but instead of mass-producing my game when it hiked up in popularity,  ** _Earthbound_  **turned into a collector's item. To get a copy of my game on Ebay is almost impossible without good dough.

That's nothing compared to Lucas's game. If  ** _Earthbound_  **is a collector's item,  _ **Mother 3**_  is vintage. I've never seen a copy of it lying around, and neither has Lucas himself. Besides,  _ **Mother 3**_  is all in Japanese. It's not like we'd understand what the NPCs are saying anyway.

From behind the stage, I check my watch. One more minute.

Tonight's the group interviews. The interviews work in a talk show format. A reporter engage us, and we give our best to respond in kind. Kinda like a casual conversation. Occasionally we have individual one-on-ones, but as representatives of our respective franchises, it's much more convenient to interview us all at the same time.

So yeah, you can guess whom I'm stuck with.

The canned applause signals the end of Mr. Game and Watch's solo interview. As the 2-D man strolls past us, I lock eyes with Lucas behind the stage curtains. His makeup is flawless. The pale foundation hides all the freckles on his nose. His locks have been gelled up to swirl into a neat point. With so many hot blondes on set, I guess the stylists don't want to lose the adorable "cutesy" angle Lucas had as a kid. Dressed in a simple t-shirt and shorts, Lucas is the perfect picture of pure innocence.

Of course, I know better. "Nice hair, stupid," I say.

The corners of Lucas's lips twitch up as if suppressing a smirk. "Your fly's down."

I panic, looking down, and Lucas brushes past me.

"Just kidding."

Cocky bastard.

The LIVE Interview starts off smoothly. Or really, as smooth as it can get, because I do most of the talking.

Lucas doesn't like interviews. If we're lucky, he gives a one-liner, otherwise, he'll blink in my direction as if I'm being addressed for every fucking question. It should've been annoying, but I love talking with people, and I'm just worried that I'm hogging all the attention.

The questions start to blur together. How is smash mansion, what do you think of the current tier rankings, do you think Mother 3 will be localized. Fuming at the last one, I open my mouth, probably to say some unflattering remark about Reggie, but Lucas steps on my foot.

"Nope. Don't see it happening anytime soon," Lucas says, blinking innocently like he hasn't crushed my toes.

Of course. Lucas doesn't give two shits about publicizing himself.

Cocky, SELFLESS bastard.

 _Lucas, I know you don't like talking about yourself, but we're smashers_ , I say, patiently rubbing my sore foot against the floor.  _You have to flaunt yourself unless you want our series to go into obscurity._

Lucas doesn't respond to my telepathy, but I know he's heard me, because afterwards, he makes more of an effort to answer the questions. But I still catch the nervous flutter of his feet, the pale color of his face, the stage fright in his eyes every time the reporter addresses him. Lucas stumbles over his words. Each one feels stiff and forced. Improv isn't his forte, but while Lucas is no Caesar, the audience eats up his modest charm.

Finally, it's the ultimatum.

Which is a relief, because I'm having a hard time clicking with this particular reporter. She must either be confident in her own fan base, or that of her publishing streak, because the interview feels more like an unpleasant grilling session without the medium rare steak.

"Ness, now where to begin," the reporter says, lightly lacing her fingers together. Believe it or not, she's starting to give me the evil anime villainess vibes - what? How would I know? I- Don't ask me, she just does, okay? "You've had our viewers in for a ride this week. Do I spy an epic romance in the works?"

"I wouldn't say epic..."

"Oh, it's definitely an exciting affair! As a matter of fact, Jigglypuff's kindly posted some interesting spoilers about your lovelife. Let me pull up one of her tweets on my phone - aha! Ness isn't as straight as he seems. Crushing on another smasher? Lol. Someone's in lurve, hashtag winky face."

I cringe, growing dumber with each passing word. I'm no Grammar Nazi, but I have standards. Jigglypuff butchers the Hamilton out of proper English. Lol? For texting, I could get, but on twitter? On a public feed? Who even spoke like that?

Apparently, the audience doesn't seem to think that way. From the virtual HD screens on either side of the stage, I can see the crowd in Smash Square, awaiting my response with bated breath. The reporter leans over with undisguised excitement brimming in her eyes. "What do you say to this?"

I've come to terms with the apocalypse this week. There's no point in hiding in the closet.

I confirm the statement.

And the crowd in Smash Square erupts into noise.

Blood roars through my ears. Everything has gone all slow mo like we're taking the interview underwater in molasses, because the surrealism of the past week has yet to catch up with my brain.

But one thing is clear: I don't want to put a label on myself. The important thing's that I like someone. It's still love regardless of whom I like, and I'm not any different because of it.

In response to the crowd, the reporter watches me with false sympathy dripping off her tongue. "Oh my, this week must have been a confusing rollercoaster of feelings for you."

"Just a little."

"Tell me about it," the reporter simpers, curling her black nails around her felt-tip pen as if eager to write down the next juicy morsel of gossip. "As the first nonstraight athlete in the competition, how does this make you feel? Do you think that Master Hand is doing a stellar job of promoting equality? Or are you upset? Nervous? Perhaps... a little distracted in the locker room?"

Excuse me, but what the fuck?

"Uh-"

"Since you seem a little tongue-tied, let's start off with a tamer question! Do you have something meaningful you might want to share with all the teens across the city?" The reporter taps on her mike. "We were all under the false impression that you were straight... so what caused this change of heart?"

W...What caused this change of heart?! What kind of bullshit question is that? It's not like I CHOSE to be gay. Or bi. To heck if I know.

So I BS it on the spot. "Sometimes... things happen. You realize stuff about yourself that you've never realized before. And over time, you learn to accept it as a part of who you are." The cheese is killing me, but there. Sincere enough. Now I'm changing the damn subject to something relevant. "The Winter championships are coming up-"

"Oh yes, they are. But touching upon the nature of your crush-"

I flash a careless smile towards the camera. "Does it really matter who it is as long as I stomp out the competition?"

"Of course it doesn't," the reporter reassures me. "But everyone is asking around, and no one has a solid answer. Indulge us, my dear. Who's the boy of your dreams?"

I become very aware of Lucas breathing beside me. I think of the crowd, think of how many people are watching us live on stage this very instant, and I waver. My hands begin to sweat. Lucas has spent so long trying to stay undercover from the media, and because of me, because of my feelings, he's been dragged out as the number one suspect. I can't expose him. I formulate a quick response, but before I have the chance to recover, the reporter takes over. "Any hints, Lucas?"

To his credit, if Lucas is startled, he doesn't show it. "No."

"You're his best friend," the reporter presses, amusement lacing her tone. "Surely you've got an idea of his love interest."

Surely? As if. From the knowing look on her face, she's already got it pegged down.

As if sensing this, Lucas's voice turns shaky. "I... I can't say. Ness never told me."

Oh, come on, Luke. You can talk better than that.

"I see. What a shame." Catching onto his subtle stutter, the reporter pressures him harder. Her grin looks positively wicked under the stage lights. Suddenly she reminds me of a Black Widow that's finally trapped her juicy morsel in her web of questions. I can imagine her squeezing her victim dry with her spindly arms. "Why so shy, darling? Are you hiding something from us?"

Lucas's pupils dilate. "I-I'm... I'm not much of a talker..."

What. Lucas, no. Don't stop there. You didn't even answer the question-

Without looking, I know that the reporter's gone in for the kill. She lowers her voice into a whisper. "Does Ness have feelings for you?"

Dead silence. No one utters a single sound.

The prolonged disquiet is impossible to miss. Against my own will, I sneak a look to the side.

My breath hitches in my throat. Under the spotlight, Lucas's pale blue eyes look beautifully bright amidst his flushing cheeks, which are now blossoming into gentler shades of red. At our close proximity, I can count every single freckle on his face.

"No," he whispers.

Thankfully, the reporter doesn't seem to have noticed his blatant give-away. The thick foundation on his cheeks has hidden Lucas's blush from the cameras.

Furiously praying to every goddamn deity at our lucky save, I quickly jump in before Lucas can wreck his own reputation. "Lucas is my straight buddy. Couldn't have asked him out even if I wanted to," I grin, socking Lucas in the shoulder. "Sorry ladies, but it's not going to happen. Besides..." I quirk an eyebrow. "I have someone else in mind."

The crowd goes wild. Trying to raise her voice over the sudden clamor, the reporter redirects her attention to me. Lucas's shoulders relax. I can tell that he's relieved, but don't dare check on him now. If I chance another look, I'm not entirely sure that I can stop myself from blushing like crazy too. Suddenly, I'm very glad that we've been sitting, because my knees have grown incredibly weak.

Sure enough, the LIVE interview ends on a thrilling cliffhanger on the mysterious identity of my undying love. As we leave, a reckless urge seizes me, and I turn around to blow the reporter a kiss.

The crowd screams louder.

Lucas leaves the stage. Grinning, I follow suit.

It's only when we're out of earshot that I dare to glance back at his face. Lucas's blush is gone. He looks shell-shocked, almost as if he's frozen into a rigid statue. His face has gone impossibly pale from stage fright.

I gently nudge him in the side. "Hey. It's over."

Lucas makes a strangled noise. "Did you have to do that."

"Do what?"

"Kiss the reporter."

"Oh, sorry. I can't help that I'm so good looking."

That quip breaks him out of his shell. "I can't believe that you flirted with the reporter," Lucas groans as Villager passes us, suited up for his interview. We walk into the bathroom, and Lucas leans over one of the sinks to wash the caked makeup from his face. "You could teach Captain Falcon a thing or two-"

"Don't give me the attitude. You screwed up too," I snort, turning the taps on. "People almost thought _you_ were gay-"

"I don't like interviews," Lucas suddenly says. He sounds afraid, and instantly, whatever annoyance I have towards him vanishes.

Curse him and his stupid way of crawling into my heart.

"It wasn't that bad," I mutter, turning the taps off. "Lucas, forget about it. It's an interview. I bet loads of people don't pay attention to ours. Do you know how many people have even heard of Earthbound? Nada. It could've been worse. At least we didn't brawl it out like Mario and Bowser last year."

Lucas shifts in place.

I recognize the signs and beat him to it. "Lucas," I groan. "If you start apologizing for speaking your mind, I'm going to lose it. Please, stop and save your dignity while you can."

Lucas's cheeks prickle with warmth. Ha, got him. "Thanks for covering me," he mumbles.

"'Course I covered for you. You're my straight buddy. Now give me those make-up wipes. I don't want to look like Madonna for the rest of the week."

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~oO0Oo~

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That night, I wake up in cold sweat.

In an unspoken consensus, I'm back to rooming with Lucas. I think Lucas still feels guilty about me spending last night in the library like a hobo, because when I offered to sleep elsewhere, he shot me down instantly. At this point, I'm too tired to be surprised by his persistence, and too proud to ask anyone else for help. For a good reason too. We can get over this. I can get over him.

I rub my eyes. They're happening more frequently. The weird nightmares. I want to pace around the room to walk off my anxiety, but that will only trigger another problem.

Lucas is awake. Parts of my dream must have bled into his.

I sit up.

Whoever came up with the phrase  _dumb_   _blond_  is a dumbass, because Lucas can read me like a book. He turns over. "What's wrong."

"Nothing."

Lucas cracks open his glowing blue eyes. I can sense him staring at me from the other side of the room. "What did you dream about."

I shiver. "I don't remember."

"Ah."

Silence.

Unsurprisingly, I break it. "Lucas, can you-" Suddenly, I cut myself off, embarrassed for even thinking about it. "Nevermind."

"I can sleep over," Lucas whispers, and I wince. He knows me too well to be fooled.

"It's only a stupid nightmare," I say, but it's a weak excuse and we know it. Frustrated, but not knowing why, I rub a sweaty fringe from my brow. "Ugh. Look, just forget about it."

A rustle. Lucas shifts in place, but says nothing. He isn't convinced.

I scrunch my eyes shut. All of a sudden, I feel so alone, and it hurts, having Lucas so close, yet so far. I curl myself into a tighter ball, trying to ignore the waves of depression I'm radiating into the room.

"Ness." Lucas sounds worried.

I breathe in, curling my knees up to my chest. I'm supposed to be the strong one. I can't keep letting him see me like this.

There's another rustle of sheets, and a pair of socks shuffles across the carpet before Lucas's glowing eyes blink, hovering over my pillow. For a second, my breath hitches in my throat, expecting his left eye to change into a bloody crimson  _(what in the everloving fuck)_ , but Lucas blinks again, washing my worries away with a wave of cool blue light. Something about his concern makes me feel safe. Secure.

"I..." Lucas hesitates. "I can't sleep."

"Nightmares too?"

"Mm."

I can tell that he's lying, but I appreciate that he's trying to salvage whatever is left of my shredded pride.

"We can sleep over." I swallow down the lump in my throat. "Only if you're okay with it."

"I don't mind."

"My bed or yours?"

"Doesn't matter."

Rolling over to give space, I awkwardly pat the side of my bed. "Well, then... come over."

The mattress dips under his weight. I catch flashes of his blue eyes before he closes them and sinks beside me. His breath is warm, hitting my cheeks. "Is it Giygas."

My stomach sinks at that nightmare. A good guess, but not the one haunting me tonight. "No." Breathing ragged, I shiver, feeling cold sweat dot my shirt. "I'm okay."

Am I? Am I really okay?

Lucas opens his eyes. He's staring at me. "Do you... want to talk."

"No."

"Okay," Lucas murmurs, but it's almost resigned, like whatever happens will happen. He knows that I can't hold myself back.

And he's right.

The dam finally bursts. "I knew that he was going to leave," I admit, feeling like I'm painfully forcing glass shards out of my throat. "Mom kept telling me that it was okay, and I thought... it'd work out. I thought that my dad really cared." I squeeze my eyes shut. "He liked his job too much... more than he ever liked me."

"That's not true," Lucas whispers.

"He hated me," I say bitterly.

"He loved you."

"Not enough to stay."

Lucas gives my wrist a small squeeze. "He loved you," he repeats firmly, then curls up by my side like a cat. I catch the barest hint of his silhouette in the moonlight. "He loved you more than anything."

I grip his hand like a lifeline. For once, I'm just glad to have him at my side.

His hair tickles my nose. I inhale deeply. Lucas smells like chocolate and sunshine and flowers. An odd combination, but strangely fitting for his character. I close my eyes, trying to ingrain the soothing scent into memory. It reminds me of the baseball park near home, the one filled with roses and dandelions.

I wondered how my mom is coping with the divorce. I wondered how my sister is doing in school.

I miss home.

Then Lucas's soft breathing trickles into my ears. It reminds me that I'm not alone. Not when there's someone else from home with me.

"Lucas," I whisper.

His breathtaking blue eyes open.

But this time, the words won't come out. It hurts too much to say them.

I shut my eyes. "...thanks."

Something shifts in my mind. Lucas presses a happy memory against me, and I involuntarily relax, sinking into dreams of clouds and flying kites.


	8. Finding Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas goes to Narnia.

**_~Prologue~_ **

_**"Take a seat."** _

_I do as I'm told._

_Behind his mahogany desk, Master Hand clasps his fingers. **"How have things been for you this week?"**_

_"Everything's been fine."_

**_"You have your PREVIEW interview tonight. Nervous?"_ **

_"A little."_

_**"The press hasn't been hounding after you?"** _

_"No."_

_**"Then brace yourself. They're growing thirsty."** _ _Master Hand raises a finger. **"I've put you in an uncomfortable position. Ness has been giving you a hard time - yes, I've noticed,"** Master Hand says, and I look up, startled.  **"I'll have a serious talk with him soon. But the truth stands. His unrequited feelings for you are starting to affect his performance. If they continue to persist-"**_

_"You'll fire me."_

_**"Not necessarily, but one of you may have to forfeit the Winter Tournament."** Master Hand closes his palm. His voice turns surprisingly gentle.  **"Listen, I like you. You're not a troublemaker. You follow the rules. But this is an interdimensional tournament. People want to see action. Drama. Romance. All that jazz. Ness is one of the Original Twelve. His status holds greater weight than you can imagine. We can't risk his performance from falling. If you two can't sort out your differences, I may have to take action."**  I don't know how a hand can look sympathetic, but Master Hand somehow pulls it off.  **"Between the two of you, you're more expendable to the crowd if one of you causes a misdemeanor. It'll be unfair to cut you from the roster, but I'll have no choice. Don't give me that opportunity."**_

_A bubble of fear clogs up my throat. I can't risk getting cut. I need the money to support my dad. "I understand."_

_**"Good. But that's not why I brought you in."**  He pushes forward an expensive-looking crystalline bowl with the tip of his thumb.  **"** **Make yourself comfortable.** **Take a mint."**_

_Something about his soft tone puts me on guard. "Is something wrong?"_

_**"Take a mint, Lucas. It'll feel better."** _

_I shake my head._

_**"I insist."** _

_Reluctantly, I unwrap one and pop the mint in my mouth. A fresh taste explodes onto my tongue when I breathe in, trying to stay calm. The sharp edges of the candy wrapper dig into my palm._

_As if resigning himself to bad news, Master Hand pushes the phone towards me with the tips of two fingers. **"Line 1. It's on hold."**_

_Bottling up my rising trepidation, I pick up the phone._

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter Eight**_ ~

_**Finding Yourself** _

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* * *

Ness's nightmares are growing worse.

Whatever sleep he gets is fitful. Whenever I'm awake, I've noticed how Ness never is at peace. He'll frown and struggle in his sheets before flashes of his nightmares explode into my own, short bursts of running from a relentless pursuer, memories of fear and terror that prey on his mind like hunting dogs on the loose. Even now, I can feel that his hand is unusually cold and clammy against mine.

I wonder if he's haunted by his dad's departure.

Closing my eyes, I try to block out his breathing. Things will return to way they've been before his parents' divorce. I can be patient for him. Wait for him. Ness's feelings for me are fleeting, as is everything else. His sudden clingyness. His mood swings.

**_I love you._ **

Even if his words were genuine, would accepting his feelings really make him happier? Something tells me that it wouldn't. No matter how hard I try, I know that I can never replace the gaping hole his father left behind. I can never make Ness happy. Not in the way that he wanted.

Ness only thought that he loved me. He didn't actually mean it.

 _ **Look at me** , _he'd said.

My eyes travel up his face. His eyes stay shut.

Cold sweat drips off his hair and trickles down his cheeks.

I can't love him back. I can't falter, not when I've already rejected him once before, but I hate shooting Ness's confidence down. I don't want to see the way his face would fall again, or the way his eyes would lose a bit more of their fervent spark. I miss his weird optimism. I miss his sarcastic wit. I miss the boy who said,  _It'll be okay, Lucas_ , then gave me a goofy grin with a gap between his front teeth.

Ness has always looked out for me. Constantly. Consistently. Even when I didn't need his help, he'd cheerfully go out of his way to insist that I eat more, that I wear more layers for winter, that I get a safe ride home from school. His concern is almost overbearing to the point of exasperation, but I let him into my life. I let him grow fond of me. It was my fault as much as it was his.

I think about it. The flash of desperation across his face before Ness pushed me out of the way. The determined spark in his eyes that dissolved into relief. The selfless ease at which he sacrificed himself for me in the Ruined Zoo.

He reminds me too much of Claus.

I squeeze my eyes shut and grip Ness's hand tighter. I've lost him once. I don't want to lose him a second time. I fall asleep, confused and bothered by my own feelings.

The dream starts off innocently enough. We're flying kites, chasing each other down the swaying grassy fields of Onett. Ness runs behind me, shouting and yelling something I can't hear.

I shove him aside. "You're it!"

"Cheater," Ness cries back, puffing up his cheeks. He looks so indignant and childish with his oversized baseball cap that I grin. With a frustrated noise, Ness twists his fists into my shirt. "I tagged you first!"

"I tagged you back!"

"No tag backs!"

Pleased by my victory, I raise my head. "You're it-"

Ness yanks my head over, kissing me. Stunned, I feel my eyes widen before Ness pulls away, gripping my shoulders. A triumphant blush dances on his cheeks. "Got you."

I wake up in a jolt of panic, one hand flying to my mouth. Twisting around, I fall off the bed with the sheets tangling my legs and hit the floor back-first with a strangled shout.

The lights flicker on. Ness's confused voice breaks into my reverie, but I push him aside. Now's not the time for talk. Out of habit, as I do whenever I'm rattled or upset, I stumble into the nearest refuge and slam the doors shut behind me.

"Lucas?" Ness sounds alarmed. I hear the muffled sound of his footsteps before the wardrobe rattles. "Hey buddy, what's wrong?"

"Just…" I wheeze, clutching my ribs. "Just a nightmare. Go back to bed-"

"You don't sound okay-"

"I'm fine- _"_

"I'm not going back to bed until I figure out what's bugging you!" Ness flares up in worry before rattling the doors of the wardrobe. Thankfully, the doors refuse to budge. "Lucas? Lucas, talk to me!"

"I'm... I'm going to Narnia."

"Ha. No seriously, what's - oh.  _Oh._ "

The wardrobe falls still, and when a terrible pause sinks into the room, my hopes shatter like fiber glass. There's no way that Ness COULDN'T have known. Not when we've shared the same dream.

My breathing sounds too loud against my ears, so I curl my knees up to my chest. As psychics, our dreams are highly receptive to the minds of those around us. Ness's feelings must have escaped from his mind and changed my dream into… that.

Ness's voice echoes outside the wardrobe. "Lucas?" A hesitant knock of his knuckles. "Hey, it's okay. It's only a dream."

I understand him all too well. Over the years, Ness has had his own share of wet dreams that I've unfortunately taken a front seat to. It's happened so many times by now that he'll admit it, scratch his head sheepishly, then share a good laugh or two at his own expense before letting it slide. Wet dreams are a part of growing up. They're normal.

That doesn't make them any less embarrassing.

I bury my head into my hands in shame. In the split second we were dreaming, I'd  _felt_  Ness's intense infatuation. What I thought had been a matter of a simple crush was something else entirely. Something raw and primal. I've underestimated Ness's feelings to relieve himself, and now I'm paying the price.

I want to crawl into a hole and die.

The walls shake around me with a hard  _thonk_. From the sounds of it, Ness has hit his head against the wardrobe. "Lucas, for crying out loud, it's three in the morning, and you're making a bigger deal out of this than you should."

Debatable. It wasn't  _your_ wet dream.

"Come back out. It's fucking freezing outside," Ness whines, hopping on foot to foot. "I won't make fun of you, I swear."

I experimentally crack the wardrobe open by a sliver.

Catching my eye, Ness hurriedly averts his own eyes to the floor and bites the corner of his lip. He's trying not to laugh. "Congrats for coming out of the closet."

Nope. I slam the doors shut behind me.

"Lucas? Shit, I didn't mean to say-"

"I'm sleeping here."

"You're kidding!"

"No, I'll be-" Catching a stray thought from Ness's mind, my cheeks flare up. "Are you growing  _hard?!"_

"Uh…," he squeaks. His feet shuffle uncertainly. "…no?"

A strangled noise escapes from the back of my throat.

Outside, I hear the muffled sound of someone swearing loudly. "It's not what it sounds like!" Ness wails, pawing at the door. The wardrobe shakes like an earthquake when he tries to pry it open, but I yank the doors back. Like hell I'm letting him in! "Lucas?  _Fuck!_  Lucas, it's an accident! Please, come back out-"

Speechless, I bury my face into my hands again, feeling myself grow hotter by the second. I'd gotten a wet dream, and now my best friend wanted to bone me. How can this possibly get any worse?

"I'm sorry," Ness says meekly.

"…"

"I-I'll sleep on the couch-"

" _Don't_." I pinch the bridge of my nose and try to breathe in. "Don't talk about it. It's... it's okay, Ness."

There's the sound of more shuffling, and Ness's footsteps awkwardly retreat away from the wardrobe. "Okay. Then I'll go and do… stuff."

The back of my neck burns.

Ness catches himself. "No! No, I mean I'm going to sweep! Sleep. In the bathroom. The b-bathtub," he stammers. "I promise I won't do anything funny, so don't hole yourself up in there for the whole night. I know you're not... so I'll, um... go over here..." Ness shuffles away, and the bathroom door clicks shut.

My mind blanks out.

My best friend likes me. My best friend  _likes_  me. Physically. Sexually. In whatever other way people like each other. 

Stuffing my face into my hands, I try to breathe in. This is...  _fine._  This is more than fine. None of it should've come as a surprise. Ness has said that he likes me. He's said that he likes me more than a friend.

But I've forgotten that liking people more than a friend involved having certain... urges.

My face feels like it can fry an egg. Two eggs. An entire carton.

For the next few minutes, I keep cracking the closet open to check if the coast is clear. Ness keeps his word. He's nowhere in sight, and the bathroom door stays closed. Taking a bold risk, I crawl out of the wardrobe for a fresh change of clothes, and pulling on another pair of pajamas, I fold my soiled clothes into the hamper. When I steal a furtive glance at the bed, I'm relieved to find Ness's sheets and mattress intact.

Shivering on my bare feet, I grip my temples and try to calm down. This isn't Ness's fault. Feelings are unfortunately unpredictable, and I know that he's trying his best to keep it together.

This isn't a big deal.

This  _shouldn't_  be a big deal.

Scrambling back into the closet, I brace myself for another long night.

Morning arrives with the sharp pitch of birdsong. Blinking in disorientation, I hold my ringing head and grimace, aching all over from my cramped entourage of the closet. When I stretch my legs and sit up, smacking my head into the low wooden ceiling, I rub the throbbing bruise away and poke the wardrobe open. To my relief, the empty bathroom hangs ajar. Ness is gone.

He's avoiding me again.

My relief vanishes as quickly as it comes.

In hindsight, I overreacted badly. While Ness's behavior might be getting out of hand, it's no excuse for me to dump my frustration onto him. Our friendship is already treading on a thin line as it is.

I groan. Despite his tendency to jump into trouble headfirst, Ness didn't mean any harm. He was going through hard times with his family, and I understood that he needed time to get a grip on his emotions.

Small wonder his feelings kept escaping into my dreams.

Tossing in my flip phone and keys, I tuck my schedule into my pockets, ready to start the day. I have to stay strong. I have to stay strong for the two of us. Moreso, after last night, Ness might think that I have feelings for him, and false hope isn't something I want to encourage. Then replaying the dream in my head reminds me of Ness's mischievous grin, over how stressfree and happy he looked in my dream, and the back of my neck burns. I guess on the grand scale of everything bad ranging from spoiled milk to the world crashing and burning to the ground, kissing Ness doesn't rank  _that_  badly-

That's it. I'm going crazy. Groggily, I turn into the cafeteria with fervent hopes that Ness isn't there.

He's there.

Nope, nope, nope. I whirl around to leave, but he's already spotted me and shouted out my name. Hoping that he's caught onto the hint, I stay silent, but Ness refuses to give me a single second of peace. Tagging by my heels like a lost puppy, he ends up apologizing left and right over his unfortunate mishap.

"Lucas-"

"It's okay."

"I swear I didn't jack o-"

I cough loudly.

Not getting my gist, Ness desperately speaks up. "I swear-"

I cough again.

By this point, Ness is almost shouting. "I swear-!"

"Ness," I say quickly, cutting him off. "It was my dream. Don't apologize."

"But I got-"

"I had a dream last night. Nothing else happened."

"But-"

"Okay, I forgive you!" I burst out, feeling my mortified face flame up like a bonfire. "Now can you stop bringing it up?"

Ness snaps his mouth shut. For some stupid reason, the movement draws my attention to his lips. At the way they move. I wonder if they're just as soft as they were in my dream-

I choke on my toast, and Ness thumps me in the back.

"Thanks," I mutter, embarrassed. Once I'm no longer in danger of choking to death on my breakfast, I reach for my half-empty glass of orange juice.

"Can I kiss you?"

I spew out my orange juice.

"See, I would've asked." Ness cracks a sad smile. "Lucas, whatever happened last night doesn't mean anything. It was only a dream. So don't worry about it, okay?" He ruffles my hair and walks away, leaving me alone in the cafeteria.

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~oO0Oo~

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_Done with the call, I push the phone away. "Is he...?"_

_**"Your father doesn't want you to leave the tournament, but seeing as he's your only living relative,** **I'd like to offer you a paid leave of absence. It'll be temporary, under one condition: You won't tell anyone where you've gone. Word spreads quickly around smash mansion, and I think you'd appreciate some privacy from the media.** _ _**As the only other Earthbound representative, it's natural that they'll start asking you questions-"**_

_"Questions I don't have answers to," I say, unable to hold back the bitterness in my voice._

_Master Hand stills. **"You want to know."**_

_"I still do."_

**_"Even after all these years..."_ ** _Master Hand sags. **"My response stays the same. It's not in my place to tell you what happened to your brother."**_

_"After Subspace Emissary, you promised me the truth-"_

**_"You were too young to know back then. You still are."_ **

_"Don't tell me that I'm too young." My shoulders shake. "You filter my mail._   _You censor the Internet. You restrict the questions reporters can ask me. Why was Porky after me? What happened to my brother?_ _I want access to my game cartridge-"_

_**"You request that which I can't grant!"** _Master Hand raises his voice to a boom,_ _slamming his fist against his desk. **"You heroes are all the same. You insist on searching for the truth. You insist on embarking on quests that prove more harm than good. There's a reason my contract of employment shelters minors, and you know that you fall under that category."**  He rolls out a long scroll and highlights a quote with a glowing finger. **"Read! Clause 3, subsection 7:** **it is prohibited for the employer - ME - to publicly divulge any information concerning canon timelines unknown to the Smasher in question that may sacrifice the physical and mental wellbeing of the employee - YOU - unless the employee turns of age (Eighteen Earthling Years) or divulges this information to the public themselves.** **See subsection 8 and 9 for restrictions on Advertising and Curfew."**  Master Hand snaps the scroll back into his hand. **"I want to protect you. Why do insist on being unhappy?"**_ _

_"I want to know where you're hiding my brother."_

_**"I've told you! I can't - and refuse! - to breach our contract-"** _

_"He's dead... isn't he?"_

_Master Hand falls silent. A tacit agreement._

_Taking this as a tacit agreement, _I unsteadily rise from my chair. "Then I'll find out what happened to my brother. Don't stop me."__

_He doesn't._

_I reach for the door. _Before I leave his office, Master Hand speaks again.__ _He sounds sorrowful._ **_"Lucas."_ **

_I halt._

_**"...Good luck."** _

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~oO0Oo~

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I squint to make out the letters on the subway map. Hyrule, Dreamland, Mt. Silver-

Onett.

Hitching on my bag, I set off to the nearest escalator.

The Interdimensional Subway Station is packed with people. I keep my head down and adjust my sunglasses. I doubt that anyone will recognize me, but my presence outside the mansion is supposed to be a secret - a secret I'm all too happy to uphold.

To say that I'm relieved about my leave of absence is an understatement. I wanted to leave earlier, but the SkyTrain to Onett had been delayed. As soon as Master Hand notified me of another SkyTrain, I'd hoisted on a backpack, grabbed my keys, and set out for the station right after breakfast. There was no time to reserve seats, and the flight was over-booked, but I'm fine with paying a cheaper ticket and standing so long as I caught any flight.

A sign above my head flashes for the incoming subway.

**"Welcome to the SkyTrain. Please stand behind the yellow line."**

As if on cue, people begin to bustle around me.

It's difficult to explain how my telepathic powers work, and for a fair reason. Telepathy's not tangible. It's not something I can physically hold or touch. The best analogy to telepathy, I guess, would be a radio. Within a working radius, I can (accidentally) tune into someone's mind and "tap" into their thoughts.

If I want to dig a little deeper, all I have to do is look them straight in the eye.

...Except I have trouble looking people in the eye. Frankly it seems rude, if not daunting. I'd be a little short of nervous if someone kept staring at me like I was a criminal _._

I rub the goosebumps away from my arm. I've taken the Mansion for granted. Except for the stray thought or two, surrounded by strong people with even stronger minds, it's the one place I can feel a little normal.

Unfortunately, not so much with this particular crowd. Their thoughts completely swamp over me in a stampede.

_my legs hurt im tired when is the train coming-_

_-fired me this is the absolute worst day of my life what will my parents think where can i find another job with my degree-_

_-can't wait to surprise my girlfriend._

The last is followed by a fleeting afterimage of an engagement ring and a beautiful bouquet of roses, and I'm filled with an infectious warmth. The owner of that thought is unmistakably happy.

Then I think of Ness and his sad smile.

**_I love you._ **

The happy thoughts fade.

With a high-pitched whistle, the bullet train blurs to a stop by the tracks. I do my best to ignore the mental clamor and climb aboard.

Despite the grim circumstances, there couldn't have been a better time for a leave of absence. Ness could use the space. I'm sure that he'd be relieved to have the room to himself for the time being.

I grab hold of a handle swinging on the ceiling and brace myself for the initial jerk. Like a million times before, the doors  _zing_  shut, and the bullet train screams into the underground tunnel. I pass the time with music, plugging my headphones on and scrolling through the playlist on the mp3 player. My feet start feeling sore from standing when another bright light finally scatters across the windows.

A woman's cool voice echoes through the speakers.  **"Please close your eyes. Now approaching... Onett."**

I close my eyes. A bright flash pulsates outside my eyelids. Once the intercom turns on, reiterating announcements for landing, I take it as a safe cue to look out the window.

A cloud lazily drifts past the window. Tiny houses dot the dark landscape. Somehow, after taking off underground, we ended up whistling through the sky. I don't understand the physics behind the SkyTrain, but after multiple attempts to rationalize it in past travels, I let it go. We live in a world of magical spells and futuristic technology. Some things can be accepted without explanation.

**"Prepare for landing. Please hold onto the nearest handrail."**

There's a rough jostle as the SkyTrain touches down, and when it pulls up at the Onett Station with a  _hiss_ of brakes, I shuffle off at the stop. A minute later, the SkyTrain shoots back into the air with another loud whistle, and I watch the trail of steam disappear behind behind the moon.

Crickets chirp. Owls hoot.

Night has long since fallen in Onett.

Stuffing my headphones and phone into my pack, I follow the lamplights home.

While I lived a block down from Ness, our neighborhoods couldn't have been farther away. Ness's house rested in the northern side of town, the safer district. As I plod downtown, the roads turn chipped and beaten. Ancient streetlights flicker with spent bulbs. Shadows dart over the road like tongues of darkness.

I live in the poorer part of town. Mugging and other crimes are commonplace in the slums.

The local police force used to believe in a false sense of security, so the Southern side of town was once overrun by Sharks, a ruthless street gang that once terrorized all of Onett. Fearful for their own safety, the police cowered under their thumb, acting as informers to these gangs. The Sharks despised snitchers as much as double-crossers and frauds. Walking home from school, I learned pretty quickly to keep my head down and pretend that nothing was going on.

But years ago, right before setting out on his adventure, Ness forced them all to disband.

Things have gotten better since.

Still, there's the odd person or two more than willing to rob the unsuspecting pedestrian. As a general consensus, no one wanders around on the streets in the dead of night. It's a bad omen. To draw attention in the slums is to blare out a huge distress signal. You might as well ask someone to mug you.

A loud noise shatters the silence.

Alarmed, I fumble for my bag to silence my phone. I catch the caller ID flashing on the screen before my fingers freeze over the  _cancel_  button.

It's Ness.

The memory of Master Hand's warning echoes into my ears.

_**"You won't tell anyone where you've gone."** _

Still, I hesitate. There's no harm in telling him where I went, and with the PREVIEW match at hand... I wonder how Ness is holding up with his nerves. A simple explanation couldn't hurt.

The flip phone buzzes more insistently in my hand.

I cut the call.

A sudden flash of movement catches my eye. Battle reflexes kicking in, I duck underneath the first swing just as the fist sails past my face and stumble backwards, bag over shoulder, phone in hand.

Something cold touches my temple. Without looking, I know exactly what it is.

"Empty your pockets," comes the harsh voice.

I was ten the first time I was mugged at gunpoint. Unable to stand on my shaking knees, I'd cried and broken down in the middle of the street. _It was over_.  _I was going to die,_  I'd thought. I'd sworn that I could feel that bullet tearing through my head until the Shark pick-pocketed everything I had and left me alone. But I was small and timid back then. An easy target. I knew better than to carry hard cash since.

But I'm surprised that the Shark targeted me now, especially since I dwarfed him considerably. He must've been desperate. Even better, he hadn't recognized me as a Smasher in the darkness. I relax. With or without my psychic powers, I have the upper hand here.

Unfortunately, I'm trying to stay undercover. So as far as the Shark knew, I was supposed to be some stupid teenage kid who wandered into Shark territory.

My masked assailant digs the gun deeper into my head. He, for the voice is unmistakably a  _he,_  turns impatient. "Empty your pockets!" he barks.

Without hesitation I play along. A couple of quarters. My keys. The SmashCT metro pass.

The Shark inspects the items. He snorts in disgust and pockets my flip phone. "Chicken fodder." He pokes my bag with his gun, and something inside rattles. Evidently curious, he tears the flap of the bag off and picks out the source of the rattling. With a satisfied smile, he dangles the medicine vial to his eyes. "What have we got here?"

"Pneumonia pills," I say. Frost slowly creeps up the barrel of his gun.

He cracks a toothy grin. The air whistles between his yellow tobacco-stained teeth. "Bet this could bang a buck or two at the drugstore-"

The gun crumples in with a crunch of brittle metal. Before the Shark can realize what I've done, I pull him over and punch him in the stomach. He's flung onto the ground with a gasp. "Get 'im, boys!"

More Sharks materialize out of the street.

Snatching the pills from his hand, I curse myself for not sweeping the area and turn tail. They're yelling, shouting out threats, and I can hear them echo against the streets like a pack of wolves.

They're closing in.

Another hand grazes against the back of my shirt before I do a judo flip, wrenching him off and slamming him against the concrete. There's a glint of something silver before a blade flashes across my cheek. Whirling around, I seize the wrist of Shark Two and twist it, cracking the bone and forcing him to drop the knife. His face turns pale with pain before I chuck the knife over a rooftop and send him sprawling straight into Three and Four. Brandishing his own fists, Five screams out a curse and dives forward, but I duck and sweep his ankles with a low kick that connects solidly with his shin. Howling in pain, he crumples onto his knees. A quick elbow dispatches Six and when Seven tries to make a grab for the pills in my hand, I bring my other elbow down on his head. Babbling, he sprawls unconscious onto the road.

Shaking, Eight falls to his knees. "P-Please," he cries, clasping his hands. "Don't hurt me!"

_Don't hurt me._

Those words hit home. Catching the terrified look in his eyes, I hesitate.

And Nine chooses that moment to strike me from behind.

Staggering away from the dirty blow, I manage to put up a convincing fight until someone roughly shoves me in the back. I lose my balance and topple backfirst into the concrete. Others soon surround me in a circle, jeering and shoving me around like a rag doll.

The first Shark steps forward, spitting on the ground. "We'll teach you not to mess with us _the old-fashioned way_."

I've been in enough fights to know where this is headed.

He pulls his leg back, and I brace myself for the hit. Despite my foresight, the impact still leaves me winded and gasping for breath. It hurts. It stings. A second blow. A third. Curling up, I bite into my knuckles. I won't give them the satisfaction of making me cry.

Laughter and mockery ring in my ears.

When the Sharks finish their fun, they take everything except for my keys and leave me lying on the road.

I don't regret holding back. I wasn't in immediate danger. The Sharks were more interested in my property, and I wasn't carrying anything of value. I destroyed their arms. They couldn't have killed me, and they hadn't recognized me. Better to let them think that they'd won than suspect that I'm a Smasher.

My only regret is the lost vial of pneumonia pills.

Furious with myself for being distracted by my phone, I wipe my split lip with the back of my bleeding knuckles. My stupidity cost me my medicine. My bruises flare up with pain when I haul myself onto my feet, but regaining my balance, I stagger off in the direction of my apartment. The drugstore isn't going to be open until tomorrow morning. We'll have to make do without the pills until then.

My anger dissipates into a weary bitterness. Stumbling into the door, I slot my keys into the lock and push my way in.

"Dad, I'm home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *In this fic, the corruption of the Onett police force is partly based on the situation in modern Venezuela (2018 as of now). Intimidated by ruthless gang violence, the police often act as informers to the gangs there. 
> 
> *The SkyTrain (though the same brandname exists in real life) is meant to be a fictional train in this fic that I based off of my travels in Italy/Australia.
> 
> Happy reading! :)


	9. Breaking the Mold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A worried Ness decides to search for his bae.

 

**_~Prologue~_ **

Despite all the shit we gave each other, the smashers are like one weird extended family.

As the "grown ups" of the family, a lot of the older smashers act surprisingly protective over us. Peach is the mom who'd bake five cakes for a birthday. Ganondorf is the grumpy uncle who gives you a blind eye for rule-breaking in one of his better moods. Snake is the old neighbor next door who offers us cigs and a wise word. Even Wario, who gives over half of the smashers an aneurysm, is a greedy, egotistical jerk who-Okay, stretching the family metaphor a bit too far.

Long story short, if the Smashers have a little, defenseless brother everyone wanted to protect, it's Lucas. Not that Lucas is defenseless, or even  _little_  now that he's over six feet tall, but something about Lucas screams,  _PLEASE_ _PROTECT ME_. I guess it has something to do with his gentle nature. That was Lucas for you. Shy little Lucas who somehow wormed his way into the hearts of Bayonetta and Cloud; shy little Lucas who didn't piss villains off or got in anybody's way. He didn't bother people, and in turn, they didn't bother him.

I don't know how it happened, but over the years, anybody who gave Lucas grief mysteriously ended up with fresh bruises in the morning, or a set of shriveled shoulders the next. It isn't to say that Lucas is excused from his own share of teasing, but anyone who genuinely gave him a rough time knew what to expect.

The ribbing Wario gave us back in the cafeteria hasn't gone unnoticed. When I came down for breakfast earlier, I saw him sulking into his bacon. Someone grilled him good for sure.

So when I leave Lucas behind in the cafeteria, I get a surprise in the name of Samus Aran. Normally, she's intimidating, but we're not on the battlefield, and at best our relationship is okay - the  _never-piss-off-the-badass-older-sister_  okay.

I relax with an easy grin. "Hey, Samu-"

The blaster to the head cuts me off. "Save it, shorts."

A little more about Samus: Standing at a staggering six foot three, she's a figure that strikes fear into the hearts of every testosterone-filled male within a ten mile radius. Gorgeously attractive and deadly in combat, she wastes no time beating around the bush to say what she needs to say. Rumors say that at the age of ten, she knew twenty-five ways to incapacitate a man with only a thumb and a toothpick.

Despite her fearsome appearance, Samus isn't hostile. She just couldn't stand bullshit because she saw right through it. The only guys in the mansion who weren't intimidated by her fearsome skill and stunning beauty are Kirby, who was obliviously happy 99% of the time; Pikachu, who'd won over her special  _"best BFFs forever"_  business card; Red, who didn't give a flying fuck about anything; and Lucas, whom everyone knew she had a soft spot for-

Oh.

"Seriously?" I complain.

"Yes, seriously," she says, her angry blue eyes boring into my head. "Listen, Ness. I don't know what's going on, but I've heard all sorts of rumors flying around. Rumors about you trying to pull some funny moves. Are you trying to mess with us?"

I blankly stare at her. "...What?"

"I thought you were better than that. Taking advantage of Lucas because he's your best friend, are you now?"

Oh, you've got to be kidding me.

"I didn't take advantage of him-" I begin hotly.

The barrel of the blaster presses itself harder against my head. "If Lucas says  _no_ , then he means  _no,"_ she hisses. "Don't you dare bother him."

"Samus-"

"Touch him again, and you're dead."

Retracting her blaster from my forehead, Samus pushes her way into the cafeteria. Weak in the knees, I hobble away from the traumatic encounter, somehow feeling like it was a tad bit unfair. No one's ever threatened me over hurting Lucas before. It's always been the other way around. I've been at Lucas's side longer than anyone else dammit! I was his overprotective brother way before it turned cool!

Samus's encounter stings my pride. I'm not going to lie and say that I  _don't_  have strong feelings for my best friend, but that  _doesn't_  mean that I'm going to jump him on the spot! Does Samus really think I can't hold it in my pants for over two seconds? Geez, does anyone in this mansion trust me anymore?

Upset, I storm off, only to bump right into a giant gloating glove. Apparently Master Hand has been waiting to ambush - no,  _interrogate_  - me in his office. It was a serious matter, he said. One he had to address.

I knew I had it coming. With the recent scandal and my attitude, the dreaded office talk was only expected.

So I trail behind him with the air of a school kid about to get his ass suspended. It doesn't help that Master Hand's office is the stereotypical four-walled room with papers stacked up to the ceiling and metal Walmart cabinets flanking the side.

Once I settle myself into the red fold-up chair in front of his desk, Master Hand taps his fingers to talk.  **"How are you doing?"**

I crack a wry grin. "We both know why I'm here, Master Hand. I know I caused a lot of trouble-"

**"Which can be justified. I heard about your parents' divorce. My condolences to you."**

I suddenly swallow down the lump in my throat. "Yeah, thanks... I guess."

**"That's not- ah, nevermind. Your performance has been falling. I'm sure that you noticed. Your mains aren't happy."**

"I've seen better days."

**"At the very least, I can offer you a sick Leave of Absence, though I will highly advise you against it. An extended L.O.A. will be a risky move before the Championships-"**

"I'm not taking the L.O.A.," I say, clenching my fists. The last thing I want is to show everyone I'm rattled, and I'm  _not._  "I'm just worried about Lucas-"

 **"I spoke to Lucas yesterday. More specifically, about your feelings for him.** **"**

It's not even a question.

"Oh." I feel my face heat up. "I guess you could say that," I mutter, fixing my eyes onto the floor.

Master Hand heaves a low sigh.  **"Don't take this to heart, Ness. Crushing on someone is a natural** **part of growing up. These things happen, and you aren't the only victim of young love here, especially at your age. But bear in mind that this mansion has certain restrictions that you have to follow. More specifically-"** Master Hand snaps his fingers, and his rulebook flutters open to the right page.  **"Rule Seven thousand-"**

"-Four hundred Forty-Seven," I finish with a groan. 

**"Precisely. As a member of the Original Council of Twelve, you should be familiar with Rule No. 7447 - _RULE SHIP!_ \- which dictates all the DOs and DONTs of shipping and regulates the types of relationships allowed under this roof."**

If possible, my face boils up more. "Like what? People ship me and Lucas all the time-"

**"Shipping is common amongst fans. It's good for business. I can allow teasing the prospect, but having serious feelings for someone is entirely different. You two are from different games. Do not take Interdimensional relationships lightly, lest you incur the wrath of atrocities such as the Grandfather Paradox and the like...! Imagine the paperwork. What a headache!"**

"We're from the same dimension-"

**"Same universe. Different timelines."**

"We're from different timelines?" I say weakly. "But I've known him all my life."

 **"I won't go into detail, but take my word as fact. Lucas is not from your time. Neither of you should have met in the first place. In short, you two are not meant to be."** Vaporizing the rulebook with a CRACK of magic, Master Hand peers over his desk like a kind principal trying his best to remain stern.  **"While it's unfortunate that your love interest happens to be your fellow representative, bear in mind the consequences of your future actions."**

I catch the hidden warning from his tone. To fall in love with another smasher isn't unheard of.

But to defy canon is forbidden.

 **"I'll send you a copy of the rulebook as a reminder of your responsibility. Ask me - or by extension, Mario - if you seek clarification on any of these rules. It is your duty as one of the Twelve, after all, to set a good example to the others on the roster..."** The heavy rule book materializes back onto my hands, and surprised by the sudden weight, I faceplant into the ground like a seesaw. Satisfied, Master Hand draws his fingers up into a point. ****"Lucas is aware of your feelings for him. He will not encourage them, and you will do the same. If necessary, I will separate you into different rooms. And if worst comes to worst, I will take disciplinary measures... Measures you won't be happy for me to take. Do you understand?"****

Ears ringing with his rebuke, I nod.

**"You are dismissed."**

* * *

 

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~ _ **Chapter Nine**_ ~

_**Breaking the Mold** _

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* * *

Naturally, the first thing I do is look for Lucas. 

He's not in the cafeteria. Nor is he back in the dorms.

He's simply  _vanished_  off the face of the Earth.

I don't blame him. After our embarrassing debut yesterday, I figure that he needed some space to himself. Just thinking about how I reacted... downstairs... is enough to make me blush furiously to the roots of my hair. Great, forget best friend. Now Lucas probably thinks that I just want a piece of him.

"Way to go, you idiot," I swear, slapping myself in the face.

 _ **Lucas is not from your time.** _ **_Neither of you should have met in the first place._**

_**In short, you two are not meant to be.** _

Master Hand  _has_  to be wrong. It's not possible. No way, no  _shit._  Lucas is just like me. He was invited to Smash Mansion after going on his quest...

A quest that he's never brought up.

This bothers me.

I've known Lucas all my life. We've known each other since... third grade? Which means that unless my counting is a complete fail, Lucas should've gone on his quest before then. And if we were both from the same universe, his quest couldn't have been an easy feat, no less for an eight-year-old. I recall Lucas's jumpy childhood self.

Who exactly is Lucas?

Did I really know him as well as I'd thought?

This is giving me a massive headache. Maybe sleeping it over might help my nerves. Shuffling past the living room, I'm so out of it that I'm about to flop into bed until I catch myself and flounder the fuck back. My cheeks burn.

Oh no, as if I need another goddamn replay of last night!

Thoroughly miserable, I decide to nap on the couch instead. I'm not looking forward to the PREVIEW match I have with Lucas today. 

Not.

At.

All.

But when my alarm wakes me up, and the clock ticks closer to two, I grow uneasy.

Lucas still isn't here.

This weirds me the fuck out. We've always left together for team brawls. Warmed up together. Made sure the other arrived on time.

Maybe Lucas was waiting ahead for me.

I quickly shrug off the empty pit in my stomach, and swinging my legs off the couch, head over to the prison on the 15th floor.

Prison is what I aptly dub the prep room, because I think it's a huge fucking crime to sit still and do nothing. My hands grow restless, but again, I can't do anything, so I settle for jiggling my right knee. The prep room is like time-out for grownups, but worse, because it resembles a hair salon with all its fancy tiled floors, lavish mirrors, and rows of bottles of Bath-and-Body-Works. Makeup of all colors obnoxiously crowds each other out in the carts. The sickening-sweet hairspray assaults my nose. I sound melodramatic, but it's the truth: I don't like salons. With their fluorescent colors and bright lights, salons look far from natural. I'm easily reminded of an exotic zoo where all the animals are polka-dotted pink, because everything smells funny and looks funny.Lingering in the waiting room, I fiddle with the brim of my hat. Before SMASH, my mom used to cut my hair. She never dealt with any of these chemicals. Some of them are okay, and others exciting, but really, clustered all together in this AC-blasted room, they do not please the nose.

When I'm finally called to one of the private booths - each complete with a changing room, mirror, and wardrobe - I nervously resign myself for an hour or three of boredom. Oh well, at least the walls are made of glass. Sightseeing for the win.

My mood is improved slightly when see the head stylist for today.

Mr. Emo jabs his finger down. "You. Ditch the hat."

"Nice to see you too," I say, and Shadow grumbles off to grab the hair gel.

I don't think anyone in a blue moon saw it coming.  _Shadow-the-Hedgehog_  and  _hair-stylist_  are two things that people would cry  _OoC_ , especially since the job sounds like something he'd easily consider "below him," but when he's not out wrecking people as an assist trophy and "remembering his past," Shadow's got a surprising talent for flair and color.

So yeah. Whenever Phosphora isn't around, Shadow's in charge of the hair team, mostly because he doesn't think that anyone in the Mansion  _can style his quills right,_  and mostly because Ashley is Ashley. Don't get me wrong, Ashley's good, but she's either lazing off or throwing another tantrum 95% of the time.

Shadow lets my bangs fall between his fingers. "Ness, you wear a cap on stage. Why the fuck do we style your hair?"

"I ask myself the same question every time."

"Well, you're lucky I'm in charge." Shadow impatiently snaps his fingers. His nervous salon attendant hurries over. "Use the Tea Tree Shaping Cream to flatten out his hair," Shadows says from behind me, and I shiver when the cold, wet gel hits the back of my neck. The bristle of a comb tickles my head.

"I haven't seen you around in a while," I start.

"Been out and about," Shadow says vaguely.

"Where did you go?"

"Somewhere."

"What did you do?"

"Stuff."

I crane my head around. "Hey, where's Phosphora? Isn't she your co-stylist?"

"She caught the flu." Shadow taps me in the temple with his knuckles. "Hey, shut up. You talk too much."

I make a face and sit back down. "Just asking. How was your LOA?"

Shadow rolls his eyes. I don't think he's going to respond, but he does anyway. "My Leave of Absence? It was nice," he admits reluctantly. "How's life?"

"Good. How's Sonic?"

"Still annoying."

We don't speak after that, but it's a comfortable kind of silence, the same kind of silence where I don't feel obligated to fill up with words. Shadow's still a moody prick, and clashes with Sonic for a helluva time, but he's not a bad person. I think he just needed time to grow up.

About a few more minutes of watching his attendant finish up, Shadow abruptly steps back.

"Going so soon?" I whine.

"I'm off to fuck up Lucas's hair," he groans, and I laugh because it's true. I don't think I've met anyone who's successfully made heads or tails of Lucas's gravity-defying hair."Good luck with that."

"Tch." Shadow leaves. The nervous student cosmetologist -  _fancy, over-the-top word for a hair stylist intern_  - follows him out, and the make-up team arrives in their place.

I miss Shadow's company. Styling my hair never takes long. It's simple and takes like ten minutes tops - lather some gel, comb my bangs. Dry for an hour. Booyah, done.

Makeup is different. Waiting while artists paint my face like a palette of Vincent Van Gogh? No fun at all. I hate the mascara brush poking into my eyes. I sneeze when the pale skin powder tickles my nose. The caked foundation feels dry and cracked against my tan skin. We keep up with the year's fashion trends. Apparently pale skin is all the rage in Smash City these days, so every time I go out on stage to fight, I'm white-washed.

Lucas is lucky. His skin is naturally pale.

On the bright side, I get to see the Assist Trophies scramble onto their platforms. Through the glass walls, they scatter across the white floor beneath us like colorful skittles. In the midst of flying feet and hands, Jeff looks up and catches my eye. Even from afar, I can tell that he's looking straight at me.

I wince. I have another talk to look forward to.

One makeup session later, I linger around glass elevators in the waiting room. There's an occupied make-up station to the far right, and I've craned my head over to see whose it is when an angry Shadow bursts out of the stall, throwing his hands up in a hissy-fit over something. He doesn't look very happy.

A girly voice floats into my ears. "Watcha doin?"

I whirl around. "I'm waiting for Lucas."

"Lucas?" Tilting her head, Ashley innocently blinks back. She chews on her bubble gum then makes a loud, obnoxious  _pop_. "He's not here."

"Has he gone down?"

The child witch shrugs. "Probably. I don't remember. You'd better go before you miss your match." Giving me her signature  _wah-tever_ wave, she skips away, her dress fluttering behind her like a cape.

From afar, Shadow hurries back into the private stall with more hair gel in his hands. I sense that he's upgraded to  _pissed-off_  mode, so I hastily scramble into the glass elevator. The walls slide shut around me with a pneumonic hiss.

**"Level One: Arena."**

The elevator pad shoots down like a bullet.

When I step off, ears popping from the sudden altitude change, Red lunges over to grab my arm. His pokeballs hang from his belt, polished and gleaming like quicksilver under the stagelight.

Red's voice sounds harsher than usual. "Where's Lucas?"

I step back in shock. "He's not here?"

"He never showed up for his stylist."

Both of us glance up at the clock. Five PM, exactly. Lucas is running late.

Lucas is never late for his matches.

Red looks ready to barge back into the elevator, and I'm about to join him when a second elevator lands on its grate with a pleasant ding.

**"Level One: Arena."**

Our designated arena mentor for the match, Link, steps out with Villager at his side. "Is that everyone? Great." He claps his hands together. "Okay, guys. Get yourselves into gear. Last chance to use the bathroom if you have to. Warm up for the next fifteen minutes, because we're about to air in-" He frowns at our frozen postures. "Where are you two going?"

"We can't brawl now!" I panic.

"Why not?"

"Lucas isn't here," Red says.

Link's face pales. "Are you sure?"

 

 _"Yes,_  we are," I beg, struggling to push past him. "I think Lucas forgot about the match-"

Link swears in Hylian, then rapidly flips out his smartphone. "Master Hand," he calls, pacing back over to the elevators. "We have a problem-"

Villager tugs on my arm, and points to my pockets. "(Call him)."

I snap it open in a fumbling frenzy. Red stands over my shoulder, and ignoring him, I dial Lucas's number, then press the receiver against my ear.

One ring. Two rings. Three rings.

Then the call dies.  ** _"Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message-"_**

I stare at the flashing screen as if I can't believe my eyes. "..He cut me off."

Then the anger hits me like a twenty-ton truck. Yeah, I get that Lucas was upset with me last night, but is he actually gonna miss his PREVIEW match over this? How can he be so irresponsible? For fucks sake, it's HIS rep on the line!

Red picks up his own cell and starts texting. He furrows his eyebrows together.

"Is he answering?" I ask.

Red shakes his head.

I swear loudly, then race to the elevator before someone else yanks me back by the scruff of the neck. "You're not going anywhere," Link says sharply.

"But I need to-"

The glass elevator  _dings_  open for the third time that day. Hanging onto his sock hat, Toon Link hurries out. "Sorry, I'm a little late," he gasps, doubled over for breath. "Prepping took a while-"

I frown at him. "What are you doing here?"

Regaining his breath, Toon Link importantly stands upright. "I'm here to replace Lucas for the match."

"Replace?"

"Master Hand said that he called in sick."

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~oO0Oo~

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The PREVIEW match passes in a blur. Everything is muscle memory. PK Flash, PK Fire, PK Thunder. I'm moving like my life depends on it, but my mind has gone still.

I can't concentrate on the match. All I can think of is Lucas ailing away in the hospital ward, because I  _know_  how much Lucas loathes talking about his own health, but if it's gotten to the point where it's gone  _this_  bad, if he's ended up needing medical attention...

After all those sleepless nights, after all the trouble I've given him, Lucas didn't tell me  _once_ about his own failing health. How selfish could I possibly get?

My chest constricts painfully.

The victory screen lights up, decorating our names in electronic confetti, but in no mood for celebrating, I sprint up to the hospital ward and push open the double doors.

"Lucas-!"

My voice dies. No one is here. Was Lucas transferred to another hospital? Is he really that sick? Worried, I try reaching out to him, but my telepathy - as shitty as it is - draws a blank. He's out of my radius. I tug on my empathy link instead and - oh good. I feel something. So he's still alive. Maybe I can track him down.

I spend the rest of the afternoon running around the mansion trying to get a good grip on his location, but fail miserably. My mental GPS doesn't do squat. Lucas isn't in Smash Mansion. I stare out the windows like they could spit out the answer for me. Fuck, I hope that he hasn't caught anything serious.

But then the days pass and Lucas's absence slowly stretches to a week, and even that hope starts to wane. Each morning, I wake up to the same empty bed beside me. Each night, the pillows became harder to sleep on.

Then the realization sinks in. Lucas is horribly, horribly ill.

There's nothing that I can do to help him.

Finally, I decide that the day isn't worth getting up for. I stay in bed.

Of course, of all people, the underclassmen are the first to witness my descent to misery. When I leave the apartment unlocked to draw in some fresh air  _(and not because I was hopefully waiting for Lucas to waltz in at any second)_ , I groggily stir to Toon's wide cat eyes staring me in the face. There are more members in the  _Freshman gang_ , as I aptly dub them, but it seems like Megaman and Villager have decided to wait outside. A wise choice.

With a grunt of irritation, I rub my eyes. "Dude, what the fuck."

Stepping back, Toon whips into a nervous bow. "S-Sorry to bother you! The door was open, so we thought you were awake."

Behind him, Red apprehensively lingers in the doorway.

I wouldn't have seen their friendship coming from a million miles away. Raised by his grandma in a cottage by the sea, Toon is a courteous goodie-two-shoes. He reminds me of one of those naive overachievers from school - the kids who will do anything to avoid detention, fear nothing more than a teacher's scorn, and consider anything below an  _A_  a death sentence.

Sure didn't match up with Red's Teenage Rebel.

Toon speaks up, "Master Hand wants you to brawl."

"Is Lucas back yet?"

"No..."

"Then I don't want to brawl."

"Ness, you can't lie in bed forever."

"Watch me."

From the corner of my eye, I see Toon exchange a helpless glance behind him, and Red shakes his head. Toon returns to heckling me. "Ness, um, I don't want to be rude, but you can't stop showing up for meals-"

"Don't tell me what to do, Toon."

"You can't neglect your training-"

"Seriously, if you want another sparring partner, go bother Link. Nothing personal, but I'm not in the mood," I interrupt, dejectedly rolling away from them. "So do me a solid and fuck off."

"Don't tell him to fuck off," Red suddenly says.

I sit up with a scowl. "Oh, and since when did you start giving a flying fuck about me?"

Red's eyes flicker to my face in distaste. "I don't."

"Good. Then leave," I snap.

"You can't keep missing meals. You'll get sick!" Toon bursts out. "Ness, my grandmother sent me some of her herbal tea-"

"I don't want her tea. All I want is for both of you to  _leave,"_  I snarl, but when Toon deflates, I instantly regret snapping at him. I don't need an empathy link to realize he's upset. Agitated, I shove a hand into my hair. "Fuck, no. Toon. Agh, don't cry. I'm sorry, it really is nice of you to stop by and all, but please, leave me alone."

"I'm not crying, I only want to know if you've heard back from Lucas," Toon shoots back, but I still catch the rustle of a sleeve wiping a face and a quiet sniffle. My stomach twists into a horrible pretzel of guilt. Shit I shouldn't have lashed out at him. So much for not being the worst douche in human history.

"I haven't heard back from Lucas," I say quietly. "But I'll let you know when I do."

 _If_  I do.

I wrap the covers around my suddenly shivering shoulders.

Surprisingly, despite the crappy way I've been treating everyone, people keep popping in to visit. They knock on my door: Peach. Jeff. Toon and Red. Popo and Nana. Their worried voices cut into my ears.

I don't answer. I don't open the door.

Covering my ears, I wrap the sheets over my head and shrink away from their voices. I want to mope alone.

I don't know when it happened, but I finally come to my senses. It seemed way too suspicious that Lucas disappeared the day Master Hand dragged him in to talk. And it seemed doubly suspicious that Master Hand dragged me into his office not long after. Sure, Lucas could've gotten seriously sick, but that drives the nature of the phone call into mind. Lucas wouldn't leave me hanging. Even if he really  _was_  sick, he either would've picked up my call, or wouldn't have been able to answer it altogether.

The only reason Lucas would cancel my call... was because he didn't want to be found.

Two minutes later, I'm pounding away on the office, and when Master Hand flicks it open, he's got the nerve to sound surprised to see me.  **"Ness-"**

"Where is he?"

**"I know that the news is upsetting-"**

"Where is he?" I repeat, standing in the way.

**"Lucas is ill. He's been transported to one of our sister hospitals-"**

"Lucas isn't actually ill, is he? Where is he? Is he on patrol duty?! What did you do to him-"

 ** _"SILENCE!"_  **Master Hand roars, looming into my face. His fingers cast an intimidating shadow over me.  **"Lucas isn't feeling well. He's highly contagious, so we've quarantined him from visitors. Once he recovers from his illness, he'll return. Don't bother me again."**

Master Hand slams the door in my face.

I ball my hands into fists. "Fine! Ignore me! Like I care!"

Of course, Master Hand doesn't respond.

Fuming, I march away.

It's pretty obvious at this point. Lucas doesn't want me to find him.

But when I return to the dorms, I almost bump right into the crowd standing outside my room.

"Um, Ness? Ah, can you, uh... open the door-?"

Nana pats him in the back, all reassurance. "There's no point in being polite, Toon. He's not going to answer." She squints into the peephole. "D'you think he's sleeping?"

Popo grimly raises his hammer. "This mopefest's gone for long enough. I say we smash ourselves in-"

"Are you serious?!" Nana snaps, pulling her twin brother back. "Give him a break! He's worried about Lucas-"

"Worried, my ass. Oi, Nessie! Come on out!" Like the monkey he is, Popo starts going all extra and flails his fists against my door like a freaking lunatic. The deafening  _bangs_  draw attention from our neighbors, who - after craning their necks out of their respective apartments - hastily close their doors. Great, I guess I'd better expect some fucking noise complaints tonight. "Ness, you lil shit, quit moping around and open the damn door!"

I clear my throat.

Nana shrieks and drops her hammer on Popo's foot. Yowling in pain, Popo bumps into Red, who bumps into Toon, who ends up sprawling straight into the carpet.

"N-Ness!" Toon stammers, scrambling to his feet.

The rest of them follow, pelting me with questions and exclamations of disbelief, but I stop them by blurting out, "What are you guys doing here?"

Nana scrambles to her feet, accidentally treading on Popo's toes a second time. "Lucas can't be sick," she said rapidly. "I checked the hospital ward-"

"I know," I say. "He's not there."

Toon Link hesitantly looks into my face. "Did Lucas send off a distress signal?"

I shake my head.

Smashers are more than celebrities. As a seal of contract, we're required to give a service to the people who funded us. Namely, we have to return the favor to Smash City.

And what better way to repay it than fighting crime?

You heard right. Alongside our brawls, we were sometimes placed on  _patrol duty_. Any villain who threatened the people of Smash City risked suffering the wrath of our awesomeness. Grumbling and complaining aside, it took some of the more villainous smashers a bit of convincing, but they bought into the pact.

That's because Master Hand had given us the ultimate saving grace.

As long as we lived in Smash City, we were immortal... Kind of. It's not to say that we can't get hurt - broken bones, cuts, and bruises are still fair game - but a fatal blow transforms the Smasher into a statue. Anyone who's been petrified sends off a distress signal to the motherboard, where Master Hand will dispatch the rest of us in for backup. Touch the base of the petrified victim with a hand, and -  _voila!_  - instant revival.

So if Lucas hasn't sent off a distress signal from somewhere in the City, it means his illness isn't fatal.

...If Lucas is even ill to begin with.

"He could be gone on patrol duty," Nana suggests.

"For a whole week? During Preview season?" I say skeptically.

Nana worries on her lip. "That's true... it does sound weird for Master Hand to send him on patrol duty now. Do you think something's happened to him?"

"Only one way to find out." I push into my apartment, and everyone else follows suit into the bedroom.

Everything on Lucas's side is neat and organized. Clothes are either hung on the rack or folded into tiny squares into his wardrobe. His sheets lie untouched without a single crease on the bed.

"He took his keys with him. So if he left somewhere, he could come back," I say.

Never a help, Popo giggles, swinging around in Lucas's swivel seat. "Dude, these free chairs are awesome!"

Nana smacks him in the shoulder. "Get off, you moron. This is no time to be playing around-"

"Ow, Nana-"

"I found something," Toon Link speaks up, holding a fluttering letter in his hand. "This was lying opened on his desk."

"Opened?" Instantly, we crowd around him like he's won the golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. I vaguely remember Lucas mailing letters to his dad - something about his dad never picking up the phone and trusting Happy Boxes and stuff. Maybe he's told his dad about his whereabouts.

"What does it say?" Nana demands.

Shriveling up in guilt, Toon Link hesitates, throwing an unspoken plea my way.

I understand. I  _really_  don't want to dig through Lucas's stuff, and I'm all for respecting his space, but Lucas could be in grave danger for all we knew. Besides, the letter was already lying open on his desk. His safety, above everything else, is our primary concern. "Read it. We have to know."

Toon unfolds the inky envelope. For an entire page of paper, the letter from his dad is only one line long.

_**I stand by what I said. Don't argue with me.** _

A chill crawls down my spine.

Involuntarily, I reach for the letter, and when Toon hands it over, I stare at the words floating in front of my eyes. It brings back a memory. An unpleasant memory. Lucas's reluctance to talk about his family. The bitter tone he takes on whenever he speaks of his dad.

My blood turns to ice. Of course. The signs are so obvious.

"He's being abused," I say suddenly.

Popo looks up. "Who's being abused?"

"Lucas. He's being abused by his dad."

"Eh, I'm not saying that you're wrong, but I don't know, Ness..." Toon Link glances nervously at the letter in my hand. "Don't you think that's a little too extreme? Lucas would've shown signs-"

"What signs? It's been there from the beginning. Let's count them." I number them on my hand. "Lucas doesn't talk about his family. Lucas doesn't like physical contact. He's withdrawn. He has a distant relationship with his dad. And as for any bruises... we have other psychic powers outside of Smash City. Healing is one of them. If his dad really  _is_  abusing him, then he can easily hide the scars."

Red sharply turns to me. "Is this true?"

"I don't know," I admit. "I've never seen his dad before, and judging from what Lucas says, they're not too close either..."

Nana claps both of her hands to her mouth in horror. "Do you think Master Hand knows?"

"How could he know? He's too busy running the tournament!" Furious, I whirl around and slam my fists into my bedframe, and walls shake. "Dammit Lucas, why didn't you tell me?"

"If Lucas went home, then we need to bring him back," Toon insists, looking terrified. "But none of us know where he lives-"

"I do. I've never been there before, but I know the neighborhood." I dig under my bed for my bat, then flicking the brim of my cap around, pat down my shorts to check for my yo-yo. "Once we leave the mansion, we take the SkyTrain to Onett-"

"I still don't know, Ness..."

"This is Lucas we're talking about. D'you think he'd tell us if he's being abused? We need to leave now, Lucas could be hurt, and I don't..." I stop short, flashing to an unpleasant memory of Lucas bruised and battered in my mind. My stomach twists with guilt.

"wOAH. Okay, just... back the fuck up." As if to prove his point, Popo raises his hands up. "Bro, like, I'm not saying you're wrong, but aren't you like, jumping to this way too fast-"

"Fast or not, I'd rather be safe than sorry." Making sure that I've packed everything, I shoulder on my bag. "I'm teleporting to the SkyTrain Station. You guys stay here. Make sure no one realizes that I'm gone-"

Someone tugs on the straps of bag. "I'm going too," Toon said stubbornly.

I wrench my fingers out of his grip. "No, it's too dangerous-"

"We need to stick together-"

"I don't have time to babysit you, Toon. Go spar-"

 _"Why won't you take me seriously?"_  Toon balls his fists at his sides. "I'm shorter than you, but I'm just as strong as you are. I'm younger than you, but I'm just as qualified. We've all gone on dangerous quests before, and that hasn't stopped any of us from getting hurt."

"I never said-"

"I'll tell you about my quest. The reason I'm here is because of Aryll. I lost her. I lost my little sister to Ganondorf, and I thought that she died!" Toon begins to choke up. "It was the worst moment of my life. Ness, I know. I know what it's like to fight for your life. I know what it's like to struggle against enemies that re-spawn and outnumber you in seconds. I  _know_  how it feels like to lose someone close to you!" His voice turns hoarse. "You respected Link. You respected Young. So why won't you respect me?"

I open my mouth to respond.

...and nothing comes out.

After all those times teasing him for his immaturity, Toon wasn't as hard of hearing as I'd thought.

Toon's shoulders sag over in a quiet slump. "Lucas is our friend too. Don't think that we're letting you go alone."

Shame creeps into my voice. My excuse sounds feeble in my ears. "I... I didn't..."

Red places a firm hand on Toon's shoulder. A clear indication of his assent.

I can't recognize my own voice. It sounds strange to my ears. "Guys, if more of us go, then someone's bound to recognize us-"

"That's why we  _need_  to go, dude. Us bros stick together," Popo asserts, swinging his arm over my shoulder. After a moment of looking stupidly thoughtful, he gives Nana a consoling pat on the shoulder. "Yeah, so... Nana, you're staying. You're, uh, a girl-"

"Excuse me?" Nana fumes, storming over to us. We all shrivel under her temper. "And  _why_  exactly do I have to stay? Since when did I turn into a damsel in distress?!"

"Well," Popo says, bewildered. "This is a guy thing, right?"

Not a smart answer. Nana looks two seconds away from blowing her top.

To our surprise, Red intervenes. "Nana, you should stay here." I don't know how he manages to stand down her furious scowl, but it's an impressive feat that deserves a golf clap.

Despite myself, I find myself speaking. "Red's right," I say, and Nana scorches my insides with her laser eyes. "We need someone to cover for us. Toon's..." Faltering, my eyes flicker to him, but Toon crosses his arms and stares pointedly at the wall. My stomach sinks. "Toon's too honest, Red can't blow his cover without talking, I'm on sick leave, and Popo can't keep secrets for his life. You're the only one responsible enough to pull the act off. Besides, if you tagged along with Popo, you two would stand out."

Anxious, Nana chews on the bottom of her lip. "Guys, you won't be in Smash City. If you get hurt-"

"We'll be careful," Popo reassures her.

"Please, Nana?" I begs. "It's Onett. I'll know the way around..."

With a reluctant sigh, Nana drops her hands to her sides. "Fine." The stern look returns. "But if you find Lucas, you'd better give me a call. I want to make sure he's all right too."

Popo salutes her. "Yo, roger that."

She hugs her brother tightly. " _Don't_  get into trouble without me, okay?" she says, her voice suddenly soft. "It's not like I'm tagging along, so I can't bail you out of danger this time."

For once, Popo cracks a sincere smile. "I'll be fine, Nan," he promises, hugging her back. "You be good too. Don't get any sleezy boyfriends while I'm gone-"

Nana rolls her eyes and shoves him away. "Go, you silly goose."

Everyone links hands. Grabbing hold of Popo at the end of the line, I sprint around in a circle. A blur. A whiz. Psychic sparks flow from my feet. A familiar warmth shoots up my body like exploding firecrackers. On impulse, I lift my head.

The last thing I see is Nana framed against the doorway, pale-faced in the perfect picture of worry.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> *In Earthbound, Jeff is one of the playable protagonists in Ness's Party.
> 
> *In the start of Wind Waker, Toon Link loses his little sister, Aryll, to the Helmaroc King (a giant bird), who in turn mistook her for Tetra and planned to deliver her to Ganondorf.
> 
> Cue Assist Trophies. They're only brief cameos at best, but I wanted to introduce more worldbuilding. I've never played their games either (e.g. Sonic, Warioware, etc.), so I apologize if they seem of character. Shadow-the-Hedgehog is edgy af haha
> 
> Happy reading. :)


	10. Like, Like, Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas questions his feelings.

_**~Prologue~** _

After my brother's disappearance, everything blurred together. People walked in and out of my life. The dead were left behind, but the living had to move on.

Soon, my dad and I packed our bags and moved into a cheaper apartment. A smaller one. Smaller rooms made everything seem less empty.

After my brother ran away, something inside my dad finally snapped. I reminded him too much of my mother. I was the split copy of his favorite son. Dad began to work overtime. He took extra shifts on his construction job. I barely saw him around; he left before I woke up and returned after I fell asleep. In the rare bouts I saw him at home, he was knocked out, exhausted and tuckered out from the demanding work of the day.

I got the message. He didn't want me around.

We began to avoid each other.

The longer I stayed in the apartment, the more I began to daydream. It was usually about home. Home, a small cabin by the sunflower fields. There was a strange name attached to this place. A strong memory.  **Tazmily Village**... a name that no longer seemed to exist on any of the maps in Onett. It must have faded into obscurity.

Unlike our old beachshore village, the apartment complex was stuck in the heart of downtown Onett. I didn't like the new neighborhood. I didn't like the gray, faded paint drying on the cracked bricks. I didn't like the noisy honking of the streets that kept me up at night. I didn't like the bitter stench of weed that hung over the windows like a cloud.

Worse still was the gang of older kids who skulked around the curbs. They smoked pot and sold shrooms.  _The Sharks_ , they called themselves. I noticed the way they towered over me by a head. I noticed the way they eyed me. I was easy prey, and they knew it. They pushed me into dumpsters. They ripped up my homework. They stole my lunch money. Once, after hearing their loud whooping from my room, I'd gotten too afraid to walk alone to school. I stayed home.

That day, the school called my dad over my absence. My dad wasn't happy.

"Go to school," he'd said. Something about his tone left no room for argument.

I walked to school again.

During the long lunch periods, I got into reading. Books quickly became my best friend. Books were quiet companions, opening new doors to worlds to where I could escape. I probably should've put more effort into getting to know my classmates better, but the thought never crossed my mind. Books were enough to keep me company.

Adults underestimated the influence they had over children. With my disheveled appearance and tattered homework, I was the kid in the corner who smelled like weed. I was strange. I was odd. The teacher disliked me. Every time she addressed me, she scrunched up her nose, as if she'd found a nasty, sticky gum stuck to the bottom of her heels.

It didn't take long for some of the other students to take on her example. They started off with small things. Stealing my pencils. Shoving me in the back. When the teacher purposely gave them a blind eye, they realized that it was okay to pick on me. That this was encouraged behavior. A group of them ended up cornering me in the back of the school. They tore apart my favorite book and scribbled insults over its pages.

Bruised and bleeding with a split lip, I'd stumbled into the bathroom. As I patched myself up, one of my classmates had stopped to stare at me. A boy with messy black hair and a gap between his teeth. I looked up, waiting him for him to say something, but he'd turned tail and ran straight into a wall.

Weirdo.

But I began to notice certain things about him. About the boy who face-planted into the bathroom wall.

Wherever Ness went, he talked loudly. He wasn't afraid of being heard. He gave out easy smiles and kind words like they were free. His confident cheer was infectious. People flocked over to him like a magnet.

This didn't bother Ness one bit. He liked people. He thrived on conversation like a lightbulb, brightening up whenever someone talked to him. He laughed with people, but not at people. He could make anyone feel at ease.

Obnoxious and simple minded, Ness was strong like Claus. Brave like Claus.

But he wasn't Claus. He could never outshine the twin brother I'd lost.

Turning to my book, I did my best to ignore him.

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter Ten**_ ~

_**Like, Like, Love?** _

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"That will be thirty ninety-two," the cashier says.

Digging into the pocket of my jeans, I press the correct change onto the counter. After counting the money and handing over my receipt, the man at the register waves me off with a recited  _Have a good day._ Responding in kind with a nod, I tug the groceries into my drawstring bag and head out.

Most of my cuts have scabbed over. As soon as I returned home after the beating, I pressed a frozen pack of peas against my bruised eye. It helped with the swelling, but to my dismay, did little to prevent me from looking like a panda.

But a bruised eye I can handle. My split lip, on the other hand, is a pain in the neck. If I crack my lips the wrong way, I risk re-opening the cut. It's a shallow, but painful injury, and I've quickly gotten used to the taste of copper seeping into my mouth.

A white Honda honks by the traffic light. The crosswalk turns green.

I tighten my grip on my bag and try to ignore the straps digging into my bruised shoulder blades.

The white Honda honks again. This time, the window in the front seat rolls down. "Lucas?"

I blink. The hoodie should've concealed my head. Raising my hands, I try to cover up my face. "I'm not-"

"It is you, isn't it?" Ness's mom asks, and recognizing her voice, I lower my hands in relief. She gestures over the sound of the rumbling engine. "Where are you headed? Get in the car. I'll give you a lift."

"Th-there's no need to-"

"What? I can't hear you! Stay right there, I'm backing up the car." The vehicle purrs closer before shaking to a stop. "Is my son with you?"

I cave into her request. "Just me, I'm afraid," I admit, ducking into the passenger seat. The low ceiling bumps against my head.

As accommodating as always, Ness's mom turns to face me. Her eyes shine with a welcome warmth. "You got taller!" she exclaims. Her voice turns rueful. "And thinner."

I give a sheepish grin. My own physique is not something I'm proud of. "Only a little."

"A little? You're a walking toothpick! You ruined all of my hard work over the summer." She frowns in disapproval and turns the car around. "That's it. Young man, we're going to get some meat on those bones. Goodness gracious, just  _what_  are they feeding you in the Mansion-"

Ness's mom drowns my feeble protests out. Soon, the bright white fence arches into view. A purple roof glows against the streetlights, shortly followed by a familiar pair of twinkling second story windows.

Ness's house.

Ushering me in like a mother hen, Ness's mom forces me to sit down at the table, and as if expecting me to sneak out of the house  _(won't lie, it had happened before)_ , throws me her best  _stern mom_  look.  _"Stay,"_  she says, then whirls around and vanishes into the kitchen.

I know better than to disobey. Both mother and son shared the same tenacious, stubborn streak. And after the number of times I've been over at his place, Ness claimed that I was practically her second son.

" _You don't argue with my mom._ _I think that's why she likes you,"_ he'd said cheerfully.

His mom had clipped him on the ear for that remark, saying that  _she didn't play no favorites,_  and that  _he'd best believe it._

I pause. It's been a while since I've thought about Ness. Without a cell phone, any communication we could've had was cut. Not counting that last call a week ago, I haven't heard back from him since. My shoulders sag in relief. Ness must be busy brawling. He must be getting over his feelings for me. Just as I'd expected.

My fingers curl in absentmindedly of their own accord, seeking a familiar warmth not there.

That's one thing I like about Ness. Ness is a toaster. His hands are surprisingly warm and gentle. I fondly remember the chilly nights we spent huddling together under the sheets of his blanket fortress.

A cold draught brushes against the hairs of my arms, and I shiver. I hate feeling cold all the time. Iron deficiency and low blood pressure cut off my circulation, forcing my fingers and toes to fend for themselves. I was born a sickly child. Thinking back to memories of Claus hugging me to stay in bed during a fever, I crack a wistful grin.

I had never been the healthy twin.

My smile fades. My health is rarely an issue, but it does pose problems as a smasher. I have to train harder to maintain the same footing as everybody else. I can run fast, but I can't run for long. Occasionally, I get dizzy spells, and I see stars, glowing spots that refused to fade from the corners of my vision.

It doesn't help that Smashers are big, fat targets of hard-hitting criminals. Right after the Subspace Emissary, crime rates peaked across all universes. Other villains took advantage of the chaos to raid Smash City. At one point, Sonic had gone AWOL trying to track down Eggman, and Red left to take care of Team Rocket.

During this time, Ness and I had been taken hostage by a group of amateur thugs in Smash City.

We were fourteen when the kidnapping happened. They'd targeted the two of us because we were younger fighters. Less experienced. Easier to subdue. We were forcefully drugged and locked in a cellar overnight, and all I remember about the cellar was that it was dark, cramped, and cold.

I was scared. I didn't like being drugged. I didn't like the dense cloud suppressing my mind. I didn't like the uncertainty of knowing what was and wasn't there. The bitter taste of shrooms on my tongue was eerily familiar to the point of discomfort; I hallucinated several times before snapping out of it. Ness had taken longer to come round; whatever they'd given him must've been a sedative instead, because he was out like a light.

Sometime during the night, Ness had woken up. "Yoo ohgay?" he said, sounding sluggish.

I tried to nod, only to realize that Ness couldn't see me. "I'm fine. Are you?"

"Yeah."

I shifted in my ropes. Tied back to back, Ness's shoulderblades rubbed against my own. "W-What's going to happen to us?"

"I think they're taking us for ransom." Ness's voice dropped to an uncertain waver. "Or maybe they're gonna torture us."

"T-Torture?" I stammered.

"I dunno. They might take away our candy privileges. It's what they do in movies, right?" Sensing my rising panic, Ness clumsily fumbled for my hand. "Cheer up, Lucas! I won't let them hurt you."

My voice cracked from dehydration. "Really?"

I could hear the confident grin in his voice. "'Course I won't. They're gonna have to get through me first."

At the thought of Ness getting hurt, I began to cry.

Ness panicked. The ropes tightened as he struggled to crane his neck over in my direction. "Lucas? Crap, Lucas, did I say something stupid again? Gah, I'm sorry, don't cry-"

"I don't want you getting hurt either..."

"Nobody's gonna get hurt," he reassured me, giving my fingers a firm squeeze. "We'll bust out of here somehow. I mean... someone's gotta notice that we're gone. I-I bet Samus is on her way right now. And Fox! All the smashers are really smart. Trust me, no one's gonna get hurt."

I gripped his hand back. His hand felt warm in mine.

Sure enough, minutes after his declaration, an angry troupe of smashers had barged in hollering bloody murder.

I watch the city lights glow and pop from the dimming skyline. It had happened so long ago. I've forgotten how easily I used to cry at the drop of a dime. Something about the animated way Ness talked was inspiring - the way his face would brighten up or his eyes would laugh as if sharing a private joke. He'd always had a way with words since we were younger.

It made his sudden depression a little unnerving to handle.

My eyes drop to the windowpane.

Barely a minute later, Ness's mom returns, setting down a cup of hot milk. "I'm heating up the soup. Here, take some cookies. Careful, they're hot."

While I don't want to impose trouble, I know her well enough not to turn the offer down. Her stubbornness won't let me leave without seeming rude. A familiar warmth spreads through my toes.

Ness has inherited her hot heart.

I bite into a sugar cookie. The sweet flavor explodes across my tongue.

Sitting down, Ness's mother watches me eat from across the kitchen table. Something about her slumped shoulders gives off a strange air of weariness. When I finish eating my cookie, she pushes the plate towards me and insists that I take seconds and thirds.

I wonder if she knows of her son's feelings for me.

"I heard that the paparazzi was here," I start cautiously.

"For a short while," Ness's mom agrees. "Most of them left Onett. You should've seen the lot plastering their faces against the windows. Some of them wanted to know where you lived. As if I was going to tell them!" She purses her lips in a grim line. "I don't think anyone's recognized your father, but keep a close eye out for him."

Right. I wince. "Sorry about that-"

"It's not your fault!" she says aghast, her eyes blazing. "The sheer  _nerve_  of the paparazzi! Barging into my house to ask if my son is straight! Why I  _never._  I wanted to give them all a good smack of my frying pan!"

We fall into an uncomfortable hush. Ness's mom drops her hand back against the table. "My son... is he really...?"

Catching the question, I nod.

Her shoulders sag. "I see," she says quietly. She stares out the window. "I wonder, if I hadn't divorced his father..." Her eyes look distant. "He would still be normal."

A lump rises in my throat.

She lowers her voice. It sounds quieter. Softer. "How is my son doing? He hasn't gotten himself into any trouble, I hope."

"No, he's doing..." Thinking about the night Ness got himself wasted, I internally wince. "All right."

Luckily, Ness's mom seems to buy my word. "That's good. I'm glad to hear that he's doing better. I'd ask him myself, but he hasn't called lately. Not that I mind. As long as he's happy, I'm okay with not hearing back every so often." She cracks a watery smile. "I suppose that living the life of a celebrity is a lot more fun than calling home. Who'd care about boring old mom when you have all the fancy parties in the world to attend?" She tries to laugh it off, but the concern glazing over her eyes betrays her lighthearted tone. "Lucas, when you see my son... Can you make sure that he stays out of trouble?"

"I'll be there for him," I promise.

Her eyes well up with tears. Ness's mom leans over and grips my hands. "I haven't forgotten about the day you saved my son. Please, take care of yourself."

The back of my neck burns. She had it wrong.  _Ness_  had saved me in the Ruined Zoo, and after all that, I hadn't even been the one to find him in the end.

Ness always looked out for me, way too often for his own good. There was nothing noble about me trying to repay the favor.

I fumble for a coherent response, but looking satisfied enough, Ness's mom gently pats me in the cheek and walks back to the kitchen. She ladles soup into a styrofoam tupperware, then insists that I bring it home to share with my dad. Once again, she ignores my protests that I can make my way back on foot and drives me home.

Outside the car windows, the city blurs into a stream of light.

During the ride back, I think about Ness. About my feelings concerning him. I like Ness as a friend. As a brother. But when I think about Ness again, my heart begins to beat faster. I definitely don't see Ness as a brother. Definitely not.

_**I love you.** _

Ness is my best friend. He would stay my best friend.

_**I love you a lot.** _

My chest twinges in pain. I hunch my shoulders together. Ness is confused. Ness doesn't know what he's talking about.

Ness's mom gives me a concerned look through the rear-view mirror, but doesn't question me. Very much like her son, she's an expert in taking in social cues. I hope that she can't see my flushed face in the darkness.

We pull over by my apartment. Taking one look at my flustered face, Ness's mom gets the wrong idea, and thinks that I'm getting a fever. It takes her a lot of convincing not to accompany me up the stairs.

"You look a little faint," she says, worried. "Are you sure you don't want to stay over at our place? We can bring the air mattress into Ness's room-"

I give her a sheepish grin. "My dad's waiting for me."

She purses her lips. "You have a lot of groceries. Be careful going up the stairs."

"I will," I reassure her. Before she can try to change my mind again, I head up the stairs with a quick word of thanks, my ears ringing with her rebukes to eat and sleep more.

Fourth floor. Room 420. When I trudge inside and click the lights on, I notice that my dad's bedroom hangs ajar. I peer in.

Dad isn't home. He's out working again.

Frustrated, I dump the groceries onto the floor. My dad caught pneumonia from prolonged dust exposure. Construction work hadn't been kind to his lungs. The doctor told him to take a break off his job. Not that my dad listens.

 _He needs to rest and recover,_ the doctor had said.

I take a deep breath and clench the hem of my shirt. Dad's bound to be back soon. Whether or not he's in the mood, he has to eat. Pouring the warm soup into an empty pot, I set the broth to a low boil.

Ten minutes later, the doorknob twists open with a clack. My dad trudges in, shaking snow off his coat. When he finally notices me standing in the kitchen, he stops in place. His eyes cut to the soup simmering on the stove.

I recognize the stale stench of tobacco lingering on his breath. "The doctor told you not to smoke," I say ruefully.

My dad only hangs his coat and brushes past me. He doesn't want to be looked after. His pride can't handle asking for my help.

Too tired to be fed up by his stubbornness, I set a bowl aside and go to bed.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

When I wake up, my dad's gone. The untouched bowl of soup has gone cold overnight. Dismayed, I pick it up, only for a note to flutter to the floor.

_**Off to work. Don't follow me.** _

Something about the note makes my stomach drop to the floor. Upset, I crumple up the note and toss it into the trash can. It cuffs the rim and bounces off. Storming after it, I snatch the wad of paper and throw it back in. The paper hits the metal bottom with a noisy clatter.

It's already been a full week. My dad hasn't shown any sign of getting better. He isn't growing worse either, but his condition is worrisome to the point that I don't feel safe leaving him alone. I need to do something, but I don't know what. I don't know how to help him.

It's kind of hard to help when your own dad refuses to acknowledge your existence.

A hysterical laugh threatens to bubble up my throat, but I force it down with an unsteady gulp. The empty room is too stifling, so I decide to take a long walk to Twoson. My dad isn't returning home until later. There's nothing else I can do, but wait for him to return. I tug on a jacket and head out.

Over the years, Onett has grown. Skyscrapers and urban construction explode into life at every corner. The proud city has become a tourist attraction, boasting of two representatives on the roster.

Arguably, Twoson looks boring and plain in comparison. Worn out over time, it's old and rusty. A rural Podunk.

But I like Twoson. Even in winter, grassy fields and trees plaster every acre of land. The water and air tastes fresher. Twisted, cobbled sidewalks dance around in circles, lending life to the town. Finding a nice spot on the top of a hill, I pat down the melted frost with my shoes and lazily raise my arm. The sun is still high up in the sky. It'll get cold soon, but evening is still a far cry away. Ample time for a quick nap. Satisfied, I close my eyes.

My only regret is not bringing a book along...

.

.

.

The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly stand on end. I wake up from my nap, dazed and disoriented. Something tingles in the corner of my mind, and when a shadow covers the sun, I make out the shape with a squint.

The silhouette blurs into focus.

"I like to come here too. It's a nice place for a nap," the girl says, patting her pink petticoat into the grass. Her choppy strawberry-blonde bangs curl around her shoulders in a graceful bob. "But you should really be careful about where you sleep. I had to chase off the paparazzi before they could find you."

Uncertain, I glance at her. "Have we met before?"

"No." She hugs her knees to her chest. "At least, not in person."

Blond hair. Blue eyes. Her face suddenly clicks into place.

"Paula," I say, surprised.

She smiles gently. "Nice to see you too, Lucas. You look..." Her smile falters. My cheeks heat up; in the midst of my surprise, I've forgotten about my busted eye. Concerned, Paula raises her glowing hands. They lean towards my face like hot brands.  _"PK_   _LifeUp._ Here, let's patch you up-"

"I'm good," I say honestly. "I don't feel any pain."

To my dismay, Paula reaches for my bruised arm. I flinch, flattening myself against the grass, and she frowns, this time trying to reach for my face. "That bruise looks really bad-"

"Thanks, Paula, but I...I-I'm-" I scoot back, panicked by her sudden intimacy. While Paula seems like a kind person, I'm not comfortable with someone trying to touch my face. I'm not a touchy-feely person, and the bruises feel fresh and ginger. Forcing down my unease, I try to return her smile. From the doubtful look on Paula's face, I'm failing to reassure her. My palms begin to sweat.

Sensing my discomfort, the hands retreat, and with a whisper, they lose their magic glow. "All righteo. I'll take your word for it," Paula sighs, then sits a little ways off to my side. "Get better soon... all right?"

My shoulders relax. Grateful, I nod.

We watch a puffy cloud float past. Her eyes lighting up, Paula points out all the shapes in the sky.

During this time, I learned more about Paula. The girl whose parents ran a daycare. The girl who liked cracking riddles, scratching and scribbling letters out on the newspaper crosswords. The girl who, as clever as she was at scrabble, failed just as miserably at chess.

The girl who, when asked what she wanted to become, said,  _Teacher._

I blink. It is not an answer that I expect. "Any particular reason?"

"I like watching people learn," she confesses. "And I like children. Do you?"

I shudder.

Paula laugh. "I'll take that as a  _no._ "

"I'm not a people person," I admit.

"So Ness tells me," she says, her eyes twinkling.

The sun is starting to set, so I offer to walk her home. On the way back, Paula insists on taking a detour. She offers to buy me a drink; despite the fact that none of it had been her fault, I have a sneaking suspicion that she still feels guilty about my bruises. She isn't going to let the matter slide without returning the favor somehow, so I don't argue.

A snowflake melts against my cheek. I shiver. By now, the temperature has plummeted. It's cold outside.

The Twoson cafe is packed with people. The warm aroma of coffee beans warms up my face. The sound of hearty laughter fills the air.

While Paula waits in line to pay, I study her from afar. Unlike Nana, who is broad-shouldered and tough and tomboyish, Paula carries a certain feminine charm. She is what I suppose most boys would consider sexy - an enviable figure with a tiny waist, coquettish with all the curves in the right places, and a Californian tan that shimmers faintly over her creamy skin. With her flowy pink cocktail dress, she looks like a natural Marilyn Monroe.

I can barely recognize the pretty girl in front of me as the sassy person in Ness's Skype videos. I've only heard bits and pieces about Paula through Ness. The tender care with which she nursed baby animals back to health. Her legendary prayer that saved the world from the cosmic destroyer, Giygas.

Carrying the same air of confidence, she's a split double of Ness. A more levelheaded Ness.

"You're a lot taller than I thought," she says, hurrying over with two cinnamon lattes in hand.

Surprised, I looked up. "I am?"

"Uh-huh. Ness tells me everything about you. You're a little over 6 feet, right? And still growing. Giant." Her eyes light up slyly. "I bet I'm still taller than Ness. He's what, 5'5"? Rounding up?"

"He's pretty short," I agree.

"He's a teddy bear," Paula adds. Mortified, she claps her hands over her mouth, but the snort of embarrassed laughter still escapes past her fingers.

Cracking fun at the expense of Ness's shorter height, we move onto other small talk. Brawl. Ness's quest against Giygas. The longer I get to know Paula, the more I can see how Ness fell for her. She carried the same confident compassion he did.

When I bring this fact up, Paula pauses. "Ness rejected me last year."

The news takes me by surprise. Then in hindsight, every time I mentioned Paula's name in passing, Ness had suddenly gotten the  _Oh shit_ look on his face.

Paula picks at the rim of her paper cup. "He was nice about it, but I mean, a rejection's still a rejection. It's gonna sting, no two ways around it." She stirs more milk into her latte. White swirls blossom onto its surface. "I think Ness feels awkward about talking to me again. He only started returning my calls after he realized that he'd fallen for someone else."

My own latte feels cold in my hands.

Paula hangs her head. She's not looking in my direction anymore. "I heard that Ness was crushing on someone. No one knows who it is, and the smashers aren't saying anything. Even the assist trophies are staying out of it, and Jeff is reluctant to tell me himself." Despite her tremulous smile, Paula's voice sounds remarkably even. "I'm just curious... you're his best friend, Lucas. You're a smasher too. You've got to have met Ness's crush at least once."

I shift in my seat. "His crush is... no one special."

Paula raises her eyebrow. "Oh? What kind of person is he?"

"The person Ness liked wasn't ready for a relationship." I stare down at my cup. "Ness could do better."

The din of idle chatter rises again in the background.

Paula reaches over to grip my hand. "I don't think so," she whispers. "I never stood a chance against you."

She knew that it'd been me. My back of my neck burns. I avert my eyes from hers. "That's not true."

"'Course it's true." The worst part is that Paula doesn't even sound accusatory. Her warm smile wavers up into a curve, and she lets go of my hand. "I should've known that Ness had feelings for you. You know, back then, during our quest against Giygas... he kept bringing you up. Constantly. Nonstop. I don't know what you said to him, but when Ness promised you that he'd return home safely, he took your words seriously to heart. If he wasn't calling his parents, he was calling you. He liked you before he even realized it. I can see why. You've been there for him before I showed up. I was trying to deny it the entire time..."

With an unsteady intake of breath, Paula clutches the edge of her dress. "Ness saved my life. He means a lot to me. I want him to be happy. I want to be happy for him... but I can't help it. I want to be selfish. I want Ness to be happy, but I want to be happy too." Her shoulders shiver. Wet droplets dot the back of her hands. "That's why I don't know how to feel about you, Lucas. I really d-don't..."

Uncertain, I hunch my shoulders together. I don't know how to console her, so I settle for handing her another napkin.

It seems to help. Paula gratefully takes it with unsteady hands. "I'm sorry. I'm horrible, aren't I?" She blows her nose. "I promised that I wasn't going to cry over a stupid crush, but god, look at me now. I'm such a wreck-"

"Ness is my best friend," I says quietly. "He's just mistaking our friendship for something more. He'll come around one day." My heart constricts. "I'll give him a good word or two about you. It should knock him back to his senses. Don't give up, Paula."

Startled, Paula studies my face. "Is that... is that really true?"

I nod.

Uncertain, Paula shakes her head. "But I thought you liked him," she says slowly. "You like him, don't you?"

I give her a helpless grimace. "I don't know how I feel about him."

"Ugh,  _Ness._  I'm telling you; he's a hopeless romantic." Paula rubs her eyes, then stands up from the table. Her eyes flit to my face. "I don't know what'll happen, but I'm not giving up until the end. You'll understand, right? So long as Ness stays single, he's fair game." She gives me a fierce smile. "But I won't be a sore loser. Even if you change your mind... even if I lose to you, I hope that someday, we can be friends for real." Her voice turns gentle. "You know where I live. Come visit me anytime. We should catch up again."

I nod again, even though I know that I'll never take up her offer. It isn't because of Paula personally, but I've never been too comfortable about hanging out with people I don't know well. Large groups intimidate me. All my attempts to socialize within them end up in a pitifully awkward excuse of a mess, or in Ness pulling another  _saving grace_  under my nose and dragging me away before I can make a fool of myself. And while Paula is trying to be courteous, I can sense the pain I'm putting her through. I  _feel_  it. The tight feeling in her chest. The unsteady intake of her breaths. The same hollow ache I feel from Ness whenever he's close by.

Heartache. Her heart is crying.

She must have sensed my own guilt, because her smile wavers again. Emitting a choked  _I'm sorry_ , Paula dashes out of the cafe. Tiny silver bells tinkle cheerfully as the door swings shut after her, and her form quickly disappears into the snow.

Sitting in the booth, I watch the snow fall outside.

It's almost sundown when I walk back to Onett. The snow is falling faster from the cloudy sky. I eye it in worry. My dad should've gotten off work early. He should already be home.

Paula's face swims into mind. The genuine surprise in her question keeps bothering me. As if the answer had been obvious.

_**You like him, don't you?** _

I choke on the words. Me, like  _Ness?_  Ness is rash and quick to temper and careless to a fault. He's a hopeless dork. A hopeless dork who can't hold back his feelings half the time!

Yet, underneath his pride is someone honest. His head is hot... but his heart is pure.

_**You like him.** _

A hot spike of warmth prickles the back of my neck.  _Liked,_  not  _like._  A very big difference. Any feelings I'd had for Ness are ancient history. I can't return what is no longer there.

We're just friends. Nothing more.

I wonder what Claus would've thought of him.

With a puff of smoke, the city bus rattles past me on the sidewalk. I watch it fade into the horizon. Then lifting my numb feet, which feel like a pair of dead weights, I drag myself towards the apartment.

The roads have iced over. My shoes crunch into the snow, sinking under my weight. Shivering, I rub my bruised eye. It's beginning to throb again in the cold, and when I poke at a particularly unpleasant spot, I flinch, accidentally bumping my hand hard against my mouth. Biting back a sharp hiss, I retract my fingers and experimentally touch my split lip. A sour copper taste explodes onto my tongue.

Instinctively, my hand glows, flickering feebly with PSI, but I force the sensation down. I've been straining my psychic powers over the past couple of days. Healing takes energy.

I know that I have to prioritize. My own injuries can wait.

Turning the block, I breathe in, then exhale. A wisp of white spirals past my numb lips and into the air. My body aches with every step, and occasionally an icy gust bites into my ankles. Instantly, I regret not having dressed smarter.

Like candlelight, a crowd of faces pops into view by the apartment gates. Distant arguing hits my ears.

"Dude, give up. I think we've got the wrong place-"

"No, I'm telling you, he lives here-"

I tune them out. The neighbors on the first floor are a noisy gaggle of college freshman. Two of the party goers must be arguing over who was supposed to bring the booze where. Tucking my chin into my jacket, I pass them and reach into my pockets. As my frozen fingers fumble for the keys, an angry voice shatters the night.

**_"For the last time, I'm not leaving Lucas behind!"_ **

I jerk my head up in shock.

Hearing my ragged breath, one by one, they turn around. Popo. Red. Toon. Their faces look pale amidst the falling snow.

And looking as though he'd been waiting on my doorstep for years, the subject of my own thoughts swivels his head up to stare at me. His trademark baseball bat is slung over his bag. A strange emotion blazes in his puffy, red-rimmed eyes.

Ness is standing outside my apartment.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *In Earthbound, Giygas is finally defeated by Paula's desperate prayer to the NPCs and to the player himself. It is only through their support that Ness and co. are able to gain the courage to defeat Giygas.
> 
> *Lucas's father is Flint, a playable character in Mother 3.
> 
> Something to bear in mind:
> 
> \- Recall that Smash City sells cartridges of all video games.
> 
> \- The paparazzi has yet to recognize Flint as Lucas's father from sight... because no one in Smash City has played Mother 3. And no one has played Mother 3 because no one seems to have access to the Mother 3 cartridges.
> 
> \- SO WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE MOM 3 CARTRIDGES?! TO BE CONTINUED IN THIS FAILBOAT FIC


	11. I Get Allergic to Magazines, Sort Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ness, Popo, Toon, and Red bump into a group of rabid fangirls. Chaos ensues.

_**~Prologue~** _

Now the thing about being famous is that everybody knows you. Your local politician, your local politician's grandma, your local politician's great grandma, your local politician's great great grandma-

I think you get the idea.

In other words, unless you can go super ninja mode and turn invisible, someone's definitely bound to recognize you. Such is Master Hand's rule of thumb: Never go on stealth missions without serious backup.

Too bad I never cared for the rules.

I exhale. With the track record I'm setting this week, I sound like a teenage rebel, but in all honesty, I  _do_  try not to get on Master Hand's shitlist. He's got a fair point when it comes to making decisions about our safety, but when you suspect that your best friend's dad is beating the living shit out of his son, then all conventional rules have to take a backseat.

Toon steps away from the ticketing machine. "-and we reserved four tickets for the next SkyTrain. We're lucky they didn't run out."

"Awesome, man. Which gate?" 

"Gate Five in fifteen minutes. It's the train heading to Hoenn."

Fifteen minutes to the terminal. My feet refuse to stay planted on the ground, because I'm antsy that this train can't arrive quickly enough. "We'd better scram," I say.

Popo pats me in the back. "Speaking of  _scram_ , there's like, people looking at us."

Sure enough, there's already a few people giving us funny looks in the subway station. From the way things are going, it's not gonna take long until someone exposes us.

I rack my head fast. "Let's all switch weapons. Hand over your hammer to me, I'll give my bat to Toon, and Red can take Toon's sword."

"Dude, no one's gonna be fooled-"

"Hey look, Smashers!" A huge gaggle of teenage girls flock over, all of them dressed in the typical white and green of junior high students. "Toe-tah-lee kawaii."

Fangirls.

Don't get me wrong. There's nothing better than meeting and greeting a fan on the job. Some are so freaking awesome that simply talking to them genuinely makes my day. You got two kinds of fans: you have the cool fans, and you have the shy fans.

Then you have the rabid shipper.

I'm not trying to be rude. For god's sake, my little sister is a shipper, and she turned out fine. But when I say, rabid shipper, I really mean RABID shipper _._  No logic nor reason can deter these menaces of society from tearing down steel walls and razing towns in a frenzied rampage for the sake of a ship. They're like freaking members of a religious cult.

Registering incoming danger, Toon shrinks back. "Oh no. We need to get out of here-"

Popo gives an appreciative whistle. "Damn, those chicks got style."

I shake my head. Style or not, if they're rabid shippers, I'm outta there faster than Donkey Kong.

The girl who called us out - snapping shut her journal coated over with heart stickers - points at me and squeals, "Omigosh, who are  _you_  supposed to be?"

"I'm, uh... not Ness. Because I'm totally cosplaying. Yeah."

She giggles. "No duh, silly. Of course you're cosplaying! Ness has blond hair. You're the other one... the straight one. Linus!" She bends over, vape pen in hand, and artificial cherry sears my nose. Her shirt drops down, revealing her cleavage. "I ship you two together."

Sweating profusely, I step back. I haven't decided if I should feel offended by her mixing us up or by her butchering my best friend's name. "Um, that's cool."

"I know, right?! You two are my OTP!" she squeals.

OTP? The hell is that? An STD? I hope it isn't contagious. I edge off to the side, not wanting to catch her weird fangirl vibes.

Popo smooths out his hair. "Dude, free vaping time? Jackpot."

"No, you idiot," I hiss, yanking him back. "Let's make a break for it-"

"Chillax, I got this."

"You don't ' _got thi_ _s_.'" HELP ME, I mouth to Red, but he's busy warding off his own rabid fangirls, who are now trying to nick his pokeballs. Heh. Shitty wording there.

Popo struts forward. "Hello, ladies. Care to share a smoke?" he says in a voice oozing with charm, and I turn around to gag behind my hand. Where is the nearest restroom? And where the fuck is Nana when you need her?Suddenly, leaving Nana behind seems like a huge mistake.

Another girl squeals at Popo. "Oh, I've seen that parka before! You're like... you know-"

Popo's eyes light up. "Yeah...?"

She snaps her fingers. "-yeah! That nobody on the roster!"

All the light disappears out of Popo's eyes. I can see the dismay crash out of him in droves. Popo's game franchise is as dead as mine. He's got a rep in the competitive world and flirts like crazy around any girl, but as for being well-known by any rabid shippers? Nah.

"Aw babe, that's not true-" he complains, trying to win her attention back, but the girl has already set her eyes on her newest prey.

"GwaAH, Toon Link is so friggin cute," she exclaims, pinching both of his cheeks.

Toon yelps and pushes her away. "Ow please stop, personal space-"

Quick on his toes, Red drags him away from the Ring of Fire. When the rabid fan tries to sneak around and make another stealthy grab, Red shoots her a withering look that would've frozen an Olympic wrestler in his tracks.

The fangirls squeal harder.

Super effective. I grimace and clap my hands over my half-dead ears.

"I love this one though," another swoons, staring up at Red with adoring eyes. "He's like, the strong, silent type."

The corners of Red's eyes crease. "I'm not silent," he says in a low voice. Hanging around Lucas must've rubbed off on me, because I catch the subtle shift in his tone. Yeah, I think they've hit a nerve there _._

"He's all right," another fan agrees, trying to feel his biceps, but Red raises his arms out of reach. "I ship him with Toon Link-"

"TOON LINK? Baka, haven't you  _heard_  of Subspace?" Her friend scoffs, crossing her arms. "I ship the Pokemon trainer with Linus-"

"Lucas," I correct, irritated. "At least get his name right."

"I ship Ness with everyone!" one exclaims.

They all turn to look at me. Their eyes gleam.

Oh, fuck. Not this shit again.

Grabbing Toon by the wrist, I turn tail. "Run!" I scream.

No explanation needed. Red scoops up a catatonic Popo - still mourning over his single status - before jogging after me.

The tension cracks. "They're escaping," someone shrieks. "After them, bakas!"

We all sprint away in terror with the screaming rabid fans hot on our tail. One of them almost nabs Toon by the wrist in a sneaky ambush, but I yank him away in time for her hand to go sailing over his head.

"Thanks," Toon gasps, stumbling to his feet. "I owe you one-"

"It's okay, I got your back." I glance down at my hand. "Or I guess your arm? Elbow? Dunno, whatever works."

Red speeds up by my side. If it isn't for the fangirls chasing after us, Red looks like he's casually doing an early morning jog around the trackfield. Even in times of great danger, Red holds his fucking composure. He is truly a brave soul.

"Gift shop. Around the corner," Red says.

I get the hint. "Hit the deck!" I yell, skidding into the gift store.

We scatter into different aisles. Diving behind a glass stand, I tear through the magazines, grabbing one and flipping to a random page. The customer next to me, a middle aged guy the size of Ganondorf, spares me weird look.

I crack a grin and wiggle my fingers. "'Sup?"

The man's gaze drops to my hands. His face pales. He slowly inches away.

Geez, what's his deal? Last I checked, waving to a someone was a fucking courtesy.

I roll my eyes, then peer over the rim of my magazine. Not a moment too soon. The thunderous roar hits my ears before the stampede of fangirls scream past the gift shop. Their footsteps quickly echo out of existence.

Safe.

Lowering the magazine from my face, I breathe out a sigh of relief.

Sulking under his breath, Popo turns the corner of the aisle. "Well, that sucked. I almost scored a lucky vape-" When Popo abruptly freezes, catching sight of me, he snorts and turns back around.

"What are you laughing at?" I demand, stomping over to him.

"Didn't know you were into  _those_ kind of books," Popo chokes out.

Confused, I flip the cover of the magazine over. Or what I  _thought_  was a magazine. As I stare blankly at the suggestive pose of a half-naked Link wrapping his arms around a wimpy-looking Roy, very slowly - as if the magazine is about to burst into flames in my hands - I face the aisle that I'm standing in.

A terrible realization crashes home.

Those aren't normal magazines.

Horrified, I drop the graphic novel. "Oh, fuck."

Popo loses it. He cracks up and collapses onto the floor.

"I didn't touch anything," I shriek, but when I scoot away, I accidentally bump into a store worker.

The store worker turns around. "Hello, how can I help - ah. Yes. Welcome to the doujinshi aisle," he says in a bored monotone, sounding like he's been asked to guide people through this shit too many times. "Here, you can read your favorite yaoi and yuri erotica about Smashers in their daily lives-"

"I don't look like that," I yell, pointing to another simpering cover of me.

Popo's stupid eyes light up. He pushes me aside. " _Ooh, let me see._  Stealing Second Base. For the Power of Love. I PK Love You.  _You Light a PK Fire In My Heart?!_ " To my bemusement, Popo breaks out into a loud cackle. "Ness, come back, the reviews are even better-"

"Can we go now."

"Noo, listen - Smash Otaku dubs You Light a PK Fire In My Heart as the Nesscas bestseller of the year.  _An astounding and incredible masterpiece, You Light a PK Fire In My Heart is no doubt a must-read generic High School AU jam-packed with cliche drama, passion, and betrayal by the likes of which the World has never known before-"_

"Okay that's enough spicy sauce for you. Scoot, friendo," I say, making a swipe for the magazine, but Popo holds it out of reach with a laugh.

"Dude, look. Check out the review from Yaoi Times:  _ZOMG plz update. Best manga 4eva. Raunchy. Sexy. Scandalous. Beautiful, slutty smut that leaves fans begging for more_ -"

Determined not to listen, I plug my fingers into my ears. "Lalala, I'm not listening-"

"These are comedy gold, man. Hey, here's another one-" He swipes a manga off the NEW RELEASES shelf and reads the cover out loud. "Through Thick and Thin."

"Even the title sounds stupid."

"As Robin says, don't judge a tome by its cover-"

"Those aren't tomes," I say plainly. "They're PORN MAGS. Now if you're done having fun, can we leave?"

"Hahaha Ness, it's got seme Lucas in it."

Disgusted, I clap my hands over my flaming face. Seme? The fuck is that? Glancing at the dirty novel in Popo's hands, I cringe. It doesn't feel right, seeing my own body objectified for someone else's enjoyment. "Don't. Just... don't."

Ignoring me, Popo cackles, cracking the novel open to a random page. "What the hell, bro, there's like, twenty thousand moans on this page-"

I rip the book out of his hands and slam it back onto the shelf. "I said, DON'T! We're not reading that shit!"

Still laughing, Popo raises his hands. "Chillax, this was rated T-"

"Say that when it's  _your_  body plastered on there."

"Me? Nah, bro. You get way more fanservice." Watching me fume, Popo lightly elbows me in the shoulder. "Oh, stop it with the sour face. It's not really you. No one's breaking the Privacy Act."

"Yeah? Well gee, I feel plenty violated."

"These were drawn by your fandom artists-"

"Crazy artists, more like," I say with a shudder.

"Dude, it's how some fans show their love and respect for their favorite franchise. Let it go." When I continue eyeing the aisle in horrified disgust, Popo frowns. "Seriously, lay off the fans. It's not worth getting pissed over. They're not gonna damage your rep." Popo turns around to admire and check himself out in one of the manga covers. "Hot damn, they make me look tall and smexy. Hooo boy, I'll be digging all the hot chicks in no time." Popo's face darkens. "But I think I saw a few here with Nana on them..."

Staring holes into another edition with a lewd-looking Lucas scrawled on its cover, I silently conjure a PK Fire. Slow flames dance on my fingertips. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Popo cracks his knuckles. "Bro... _Let's burn them all."_

It's a good thing that Red shows up and stops us, because if he didn't, we would've torched the whole place down. As Toon profusely bows apologies to the terrified store worker, Red quickly drags us away by the scruff of our shirts. The store clerk looks rather relieved to see us leave.

"That was close. Way too close," Toon pants, the tips of his ears a bright pink. He looks aghast. "What were you two doing in the gay porn aisle?"

For once, Red's face matches its namesake color. He glances at me then at Popo, before significantly clearing his throat. "I don't want to know..."

"I'm not gay!" Popo screeches.

"I am, but not for him!" I screech back.

Toon shakes his head. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter..." he trails off, looking at the boarding schedule. "The next train's coming in five minutes. Let's try not to miss it."

Popo twists around in Red's iron-lock grip. "The next magazine I see with my sister in a bikini, I'm going to lose it," he snarls, hoisting his hammer. "Ness, keep a good eye out for any perverts."

"Don't count on it. My eyes have been scarred for life," I groan, slumping over on Red's other arm.

A woman's cool voice pleasantly filters into my ears.  **"Welcome to the SkyTrain. Please stand behind the yellow line."**

The bullet train screams into the station, its wheels grating against the iron tracks. The subway doors  _zing_  open, and Red hoists us back onto our feet. We quickly file in. When no one else bothers us inside the train, I think our sigh of relief is very audible.

The doors  _zing_  shut.

**"We are now approaching... Hoenn."**

"I think that went well," I say.

Everybody groans.

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter Eleven**_ ~

_**I Get Allergic to Magazines, Sort Of** _

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* * *

 

As soon as the subway shoots into the dark tunnel, Popo clocks out, loudly snoring against the window. Next to him in the aisle seat, Red slouches against the comfort of his own headrest. The brim of his cap tilts over his face.

I glance to the side. Resting his chin atop his tucked hands, Toon stares out the window. I squint past the reflective sheen of the glass, but it's too dark to make anything out. Then again, I have a feeling that Toon isn't really looking at anything in particular.

Slowly, I poke his shoulder. "Hey, you okay?"

"I'm okay."

The bullet train rattles. The hanging straps jolt, swinging on impact.

I glue my eyes to the back of Red's seat. "I have a little sister too."

This does the trick. Toon stirs. "How old?"

"A few years younger. Tracy's a handful." I crack a smile. "We give each other so much shit, but if anyone tried to kidnap her, I'd do anything to get her back."

"Same," Toon says softly. His ears relax from their tense posture. "Aryll's like my best friend."

"Sisters are frenemies for life," I agree.

Toon finally turns away from the window. "Once we land in Onett... how are we gonna help Lucas?"

Lucas.

I clench my fingers so tightly that my nails dig into my jeans. Thinking about Lucas is too painful. I recall the havoc I'd wrecked over the past week, think of all the times I pushed his patience and hurt his feelings, and my heart sinks from shame. How I wish I could take everything back.

"I'm just hoping to find him. Make sure he's all right and stuff." I give Toon a fleeting glance, but when he doesn't lift his head, I look back down at my own hands. "You know..." I say slowly, keeping my eyes on my hands. "I didn't mean any of that talk. About you being childish or whatever. It's just... last month, I found out that my dad was cheating on my mom." I squeeze my eyes shut. "I  _suck_  at keeping things in, a-and I know it doesn't condone me for being a dick, but I'm sorry I took it out on all of you."

"It WAS wrong," Toon repeats quietly, and I drop my eyes. It's to be expected. I was an asshole, and Toon has every right not to forgive me. However, he continues, "-but none of us made things easy for you either." Toon gives a hesitant glance my way. "Did... Did your parents get divorced?"

 _ **Divorced**_.

That word nails me right in the chest. It's a word that's commonly tossed around the latest celebrity gossip.

But I never thought that it'd ever happen to my parents.

I let the response slip through my numb lips. "Yeah."

"Oh." Toon's ears droop down slightly. "I'm not sure what I would've done in your shoes. My mom died at childbirth, and I never saw my dad's face, so..."

Aw, shit. I bury my face into my hands. "God, I forgot. Sorry for bringing that up-"

"N-No," Toon sputters, his ears flattening themselves back against his floppy sockhat. "That wasn't my intention! My grandmother is my parental figure, so if she ever broke a moral code, I'd feel pretty horrible. Because. She sounds a lot your mom." Horrified by his own words, Toon sweeps himself into a rigid bow. "Ack! Forgive me, I didn't mean to mention your mom. She sounds like a nice lady-"

"Dude, calm down. You've never even met my mom-"

"-and I'm sorry that I called you out back in the mansion!"

I lean into my seat. "Dude, it's okay. I totally had it coming." When Toon stays frozen in mid-bow, I frown at him. "And stop bowing at me. You're making me feel more like a prick."

Toon straightens himself back up. "You're not a prick." He wrinkles his nose. "You've only turned... pointy."

"Pointy? Is this another gay joke or-"

"No!" His face turning red, Toon crosses his arms in a scowl. "Ness, the way everyone deals with pressure is different. I've noticed that you choose to deal with stuff head-on. The fight over flight response."

I laugh. "Well, I did get rejected by Lucas only last week-"

"That's not what I'm talking about." Toon nervously eyes the seat in front of us. "I dunno if he's okay with me telling you this... but Lucas caught onto it first. He realized that something was up when your emotions started leaking into our empathy links. We didn't know how to help, so Lucas suggested that we should leave you alone." Toon grimaces. "We should've listened to him, but Nana - you totally didn't hear this from me - got fed up with waiting and suggested that we try to prod you. It only made things worse. We ended up pestering Lucas to take action, and when Nana cornered him, he finally caved."

I lightly hit myself in the forehead. "Christ. So  _that's_  why Lucas kept asking me if I was okay. And I thought-" I close my mouth.  _And here I was, panicking about how Lucas_ _was onto me about my stupid crush._

Lucas had been worried about me. Not that it made any difference, but it's still a nice thought to keep in mind.

"Pressuring you only made everything blow up. I should've figured it out when you stayed behind at the Mansion for Thanksgiving..."

"I shouldn't have blown up on everyone," I admit, and while it's true, the shameful confession stings my pride a lot more than I'd like to admit.

Toon furiously flails around. "Ah! Don't beat yourself up, Ness. We were all in the wrong. As a Wise Man once said,  _learn from past mistakes to avoid future ones._ "

"...Did you get that quote from your grandmother?"

Toon's ears turn pink. "She knows a lot of Ancient Chinese sayings."

I stifle a smirk. "Thanks, Toon. It's a good metaphor, but I think I'm really an asshole at heart."

"N-Not really-"

"Hell yeah, I am. I just try not to go overboard-"

"You show a lot of your soft side around Lucas."

My cheeks burn. I slam the bill of my cap over my face. "He's my childhood friend," I mutter, even though the excuse sounds lame in my ears. "There's nothing to hide when we've already seen each other at our worst."

"That, and you're considerate of how others feel. That part of you hasn't changed," Toon says, looking thoughtful. "Lucas is really insightful. I wish I've talked to him more, but he-" Sparing me a frightened glance, Toon lowers his voice. "He kind of intimidates me..."

I can't help it. I laugh.

Toon's face burns a bright red. "It's true," he says stubbornly.

"Only because he keeps to himself. Really, Toon, Lucas doesn't judge," I chortle, wiping the rest of my giggles away. "If you haven't noticed, Lucas hangs around ME. I spout out stupid shit all the time. Do you ever see him pointing it out?"

"...Yes."

"That's only because we've known each other for years. Toon, you can speak your mind. Lucas won't judge."

"Red said so too, but it's hard to approach Lucas when we've got nothing in common," Toon confesses. "Besides, Red knows Lucas a lot better than I do-"

I give a noncommittal grunt.

"I feel like Lucas is always around you whenever we see you."

"It's the other way around."

"Lucas does seem fond of you though."

I groan, "Please, Toon. Can we not."

"Everyone likes to tease you and make fun of your crush, but that's only because we know how much you care. I'm sure Lucas is very happy that you like him," Toon says earnestly.

My chest gives a pang of pain. "Nah," I manage. "I should've checked on him earlier-"

"We'll find him," Toon says firmly.

Embarrassed, I rub away the stupid moisture from my eyes. Toon returns to sightseeing the abyss outside, but to my relief, it feels like the wall between us has finally crumbled. I drag out my yo-yo, trying to steady my shaky fingers with the rhythm I knew well.

_Shhhwip. Shhhwip._

After what felt like an Ice Age, the SkyTrain finally pulls up at the terminal. We clamber off, and the SkyTrain takes off into the air with a loud whistle of smoke. A black portal spirals into existence, swallowing up the SkyTrain and its passengers up with a  _pop_ , and wasting no time, we head straight for downtown Onett.

Everything goes downhill from there.

"I think this is where he lives," I trail off, staring up at a worn-down apartment. The bricks are gray, sad, and gloomy.  _Misery_  is practically written all over its windows.

Red taps the side of his temple.

Frustrated, I shake my head. "I can't sense him around."

"Maybe your telepathy is a dud," Popo suggests.

"Let's wait," I say stubbornly, sitting down on the icy steps. "It's getting dark. He's got to come home soon."

The sun sets quicker than I expect. The temperature drops faster than my beat, and when it grows a little too chilly for my taste, I drag out some extra clothes from my knapsack. Bundled up in my woolen scarf, Toon breathes into his hands and rubs them for warmth. I tug on a spare jacket, wishing that I'd brought more layers from the Mansion. Red shakes his head when I try to offer him earmuffs, and Popo laughs, waving my clothes aside. "I'm wearing a parka, man. It's cool."

I half-close my eyes, silently watching my breath escape into the air. Half an hour has already passed. At the rate this is going, we may have to spend the night at my place and check on Lucas in the morning. Though I didn't expect anything after a week of silence, I send Lucas a text and wait.

The sun dips below the horizon. The stars shimmer into the sky.

Lucas is nowhere in sight.

Where is he? My breathing sounds heavy and ragged in my ears. I check my watch compulsively for every second. Every sound has me jumping to my feet, hoping to see a familiar lanky figure, only to realize that no one is there. I sink back into the cold stone steps.

Sometime later, Popo stretches his arms, and throws me a quick glance. "Man, I hate to be a party pooper, but I think Toon's freezing to death."

"No, I'm n-n-not," Toon mutters, burying his head into his scarf. The tip of his nose pokes out into the cold air.

I curse under my breath and jump to my feet. "Toon, you think you can duke it out for another hour?"

Toon nods vigorously. "Yeah, I'm just going to j-j-jog in place."

Willing heat into my palms, I rub sparks of magic into my fingers. "Let me PK Fire-"

"Nah, that won't help. Like bro, I can hear his teeth chattering."

"I'm not used to the c-c-cold, that's all-"

"Yeah, right." His frown deepening, Popo shrugs off his parka. "Hey, wear this."

Toon shakes his head. "I can hold out-"

"Dude, wear it," Popo says firmly, prodding him with his parka. "I'm telling you, this weather is like springtime for me."

"Or we can head over to my place," I say, exhaling another smoky breath into the air. "I'll call my mom. I'll walk you three over, then double back for Lucas-"

"But we're all out of Smash City. We should stick together," Toon whispers.

"I can wait it out alone. I've lived here all my life."

Popo slaps a hand on my back. "Dude, give it up. I think we've got the wrong place-"

I shrug his hand off. "No, I'm telling you, he lives here-"

"Well, then your memory's shit because you're tired."

"I'm not tired!"

"Ness, we can search again tomorrow morning. Lucas should be here for sure-"

"How would  _you_  know?" I shoot back, balling my fists. "If it's snowing this badly, Lucas might have a hard time getting home-"

"Lucas can look after himself. But you?" Popo grimaces. "Bro, you're not going to do any of us a favor by getting sick."

"I'm staying," I say stubbornly.

"Uh-huh. You do that." Popo shoves me in the back with the sole of his foot, and I topple down the stairs. Pushing myself back up, I shoot Popo a nasty glare, but it stands no chance against his chill. "I'm serious. I can tell when a winter storm's coming, and this one's only going to get worse."

"PK Fire." Flames tickle my fingers, and the welcome warmth washes over my face. "See, I can stay out for a bit."

"So can Lucas."

"That's not the point," I say, exasperated.

Popo makes a choked noise as if trying to stifle a grin.

But of course, he fails.

Miserably.

He lets himself go, clutching at his ribs in a fit of giggles. "Oh, I see what this is all about. Dude, Ness, talk about desperate."

Puzzled, I glance at him. "Desperate?"

"It's obvious, in'nit? Give up, man. You're not going to win him over like this."

Not this again! Thoroughly pissed off, I stand up. "I'm not trying to win him over-"

"You are a sorry, sorry fool," Popo says, cheerfully slapping me in the back. "I feel you, man. You're just hoping that Lucas is abused so you can step in and save the day."

Bewildered by Popo's sudden attitude change from  _moron_  to  _dickface,_ I turn around to everyone else in disbelief. Thankfully, Toon looks just about as confused as I do, and Red has even quirked an eyebrow up in surprise.

Popo has to nerve to laugh at that, the jackass.

I clench my teeth. "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing, man. Geez, learn to take a joke, Nessie. I'm was just kidding-"

"That wasn't funny," Toon says quietly.

Popo doesn't look the least bit contrite. He claps me in the shoulder with a wide smile. "Ness, my man! There's no point in waiting for someone who's never going to show up. Lucas isn't coming. I say we ditch him and go home-"

**_"For the last time, I'm not leaving Lucas behind!"_ **

Nobody speaks up.

Then shaking again with suppressed laughter, Popo claps both his hands over his mouth. Okay, that's the last straw. I'm  _this close_  to blowing my top when I'm suddenly aware of something else breaking the silence. Soft, ragged breathing.

Very slowly, I turn around.

Lucas is staring at me.

Well, fuck.

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~oO0Oo~

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I don't know who's more surprised to see each other. Lucas's face has gone pale with shock. He simply  _stares_  at me like I've gone all Resetti on him.

Popo's infuriating smirk widens. From the looks of it, he's known that Lucas has been there the entire time. If I weren't so shocked myself, I probably would've strangled him for being such a troll.

When I finally snap to my senses, I realize that Lucas is shivering. My eyes flicker to his attire. The jacket he's wearing is paper-thin and soaked through the bone. Underneath, the ensemble isn't any better: a flimsy t-shirt and dark, frost-ridden jeans. At least he's got the decency to wear long pants, though they look just as damp as his jacket.

He's freezing in the snow.

I stumble over to him and grab his arms. Lucas's skin has always felt cool, but it's a refreshing kind of cool, like a glass of lemonade in a hot summer.

But this is different. His hands are like blocks of ice, and Lucas is shaking so badly that his fingers keep bumping against mine. Has he seriously been walking around in this weather?! Biting back a curse, I tear off my jacket. The cold air hits my skin like blisters, but I barely notice, too focused on wrapping the edges of my jacket around his shoulders. It hangs awkwardly off the edge of his left collarbone.

Fully pissed off, I grab his  _(cold, cold)_  hands. "Why the hell are you wearing a T-shirt in this weather?"

Lucas dips his chin into the collar of my jacket. He mutters something underneath his breath, but I can't catch it, and when I try to rub the warmth back into his hands, Lucas flinches, emitting a sharp hiss. Through our empathy link, a flare of pain throbs against my mind.

He's badly bruised.

No shit. His left eye is busted. How is he able to see through that thing? Forget bruised all over. Lucas looks  _trashed._

I silently count to ten and force myself to calm the fuck down. "It's okay, I figured it out," I say, grimly grabbing his arm. "You're not going back home."

Lucas stares at me blankly. "What are you doing here."

"Saving your sorry ass," I say.

"Don't worry about your dad. He can't follow you back to the Mansion," Toon adds anxiously, tugging on Lucas's other hand to herd him away.

Stumbling along, Lucas blinks at me, bewildered beyond comprehension. "...What's going on."

"You're coming with us."

Shaking his head, Lucas yanks his hand out of mine. "I can't. My dad's sick."

Fuck, he's in denial. I throw Red a pleading look. Thankfully, he gets the gist. When Lucas turns back around to the gate, Red lunges over, tackling him and nabbing him by the waist. Lucas lets out a shout of surprise, and they go down, toppling backwards in a kick of snow.

Manhandling Lucas is a bad idea. In third grade, I got a little cheeky and tried to jump-scare him. He freaked out all right - right before he punched me smack in the face. Unfortunately, a teacher thought we were brawling on school premises and assigned us detention. We each had to write  _I will not punch people in the nose_  fifty times under Ms. Squint's scrutiny, but I remember leaving school early because Lucas  _had_  in fact broken my nose. He ended up guiltily apologizing for the incident for an entire week much to my chagrin.

But if manhandling Lucas is the only way to stop him from going home to his abusive dad, then I'll take the consequences.

Praying to all the deities above for my sins, I dash into the fray for reinforcement. When we reach him, Lucas begins to writhe around, yanking his elbows back, but it's four against one, and none of us are willing to relinquish our grip. We forcefully drag him to his feet, but still, for someone half-dead on his feet, he's ridiculously strong.

"What are you- Put me down!"

"Where's your dad?" I demand, regaining a death-grip on my yoyo.

Lucas wrenches his foot free. "My dad's inside. I think he's sleeping. You shouldn't disturb hi- Ness, _where are you going."_

I ignore him. As I advance towards his apartment, a cold shock suddenly hits my left leg. Twisting my head around, I see that my ankles have been doomed to the same fate, and I panic - because what the hell no one told me that Lucas's dad is a  _flippin' psychic_  - but I catch sight of Lucas's incredibly strained expression. He's panting heavily, hands outstretched, and I realize that he's cast a PK Freeze on me. That little sneak!

I grit my teeth together, and try to move my leg, but it refuses to budge. "Lucas, what are you doing?!"

Unrelenting, Lucas clenches his fists. "I could ask you the same. You are  _not_  going to disturb my dad-"

"Why the hell are you standing up for him?" I shoot back, incensed. "That slimeball's been  _abusing_ you-"

"He's not  _abusing_ me-" Lucas pries my wrists off his shirt with a pained grimace. "I know, it sounds bad, but I was only mugged on the way home-"

My ears perked up. "You got mugged? Who mugged you?"

Without answering me, Lucas unlocks the gates and climbs up the stairs. More a hindrance than harm, the PK Freeze shatters away, leaving me to collapse into the snow, but jumping to my feet, I'm starting to get a pretty damn good idea about  _who_ mugged him. Matching his pace, I tag along his heels and rant loudly, "Well it's fine, cause whoever it is, I'm gonna go beat them up-""Two wrongs don't make a right. It's not worth it," Lucas says tiredly, keeping his eyes on his apartment door.

"I think it's worth it," I say stubbornly, reaching for his arm. His exposed skin peeks beneath the hem of his wet jacket, and I can see that the blotchy blemish of bruises litters down his arm. "Have you seen yourself? You look like shit!"

"Thanks, Ness," Lucas says wryly, but I don't laugh because for the first time that night, I get a good look at his face. Like, a  _good_  look. Lucas's eyes suddenly waver, momentarily losing a bit of their hard intensity. "Really, I'm fine. Go home before the storm hits."

I narrow my eyes. "You just had a dizzy spell, didn't you?"

"No-"

"Yeah, and I'm straight," I snarl, grabbing his face. No shit, he isn't fine. Why can't he see that? I furiously poke him in the cheek, and Lucas grimaces, recoiling from my finger. "Whoever it is, they sure did a real number on your face-"

"It looks a lot worse than it is."

"That's a load of shit, and you know it." I reach for his face with glowing hands. "Here, lemme heal you-"

_"I can heal myself!"_

Surprised by his outburst, my hands hover to a stop.

Lucas wrenches me off. Up close, his cheeks look a faint pink, and holy shit, does he have a fever too? That is  _not_  okay.

"Now if you're done trying to abduct me off the street-" The lock clicks open. Lucas brushes past me into his apartment and flicks the light switches on. "Go home. I need to check on my dad."

I skid to his side. "Why are you being so stubborn?" I snap. Lucas isn't slowing down so with a frustrated yell, I tackle him around the waist. Stumbling under our weight, Lucas tries to shake me off, but afraid of touching the bruises on his back, I drop down and fasten my fingers around his bony ankles. "Oh no, you are _not_  going anywhere until I heal you!"

"Ness, for the last time _-!"_

**_"What in the Devil's name is going on here?"_ **

We all freeze in place.

Thick boots plant themselves two inches away from my nose.  _Chuck Norris_  emerges, clutching a glinting rifle in hand. His expression upon seeing me turns livid, and instantly, he aims the rifle right into my face. "What do you want with my son _?_ " he grunts, furry eyebrows knitting themselves into a thunderous scowl.

"Um..." I stare cross-eyed down the barrel of the rifle. This bear of a man is Lucas's  _dad?_  I don't know whether to be awed or scared by this sudden revelation. Probably the latter. Judging from the dark glower the man is throwing me, I can almost feel that loaded bullet tearing through my head any second.

"Dad, he's a friend," Lucas mutters, trying to push the rifle to the side. "From brawl."

His dad doesn't budge an inch. "I heard yelling."

"It wasn't... anything. Dad, go back to sleep. You'll catch a cold," Lucas pleads, and this time, muttering under his breath, the man lowers the rifle to the ground much to my relief.

"Now can you guys go back," Lucas says, disgruntled, as if his dad hadn't almost tried to kill me.

"You can't kick us out _,"_  Popo complains. "We've been travelling all day because Ness wanted to-"

 _"We_  wanted to check on you," Toon says quickly, throwing Popo a look. Popo snaps his mouth shut. Silently, I resolve to buy Toon Link the sugar demon as many donuts as he pleased.

"The blizzard looks like it's getting worse," I add, sheepishly rubbing the back of my neck. "We were busy trying to find you that we came running in without checking the forecast..."

Lucas pinches his nose. "I can't believe you guys," he says, but this time, his tone eases a little, sounding less irate and instead more exasperated.

 _Chuck Norris_  cracks the door wide open. "Come in," he says in a gruff Southern drawl. He limps inside.

Shooting us another testy look, Lucas holds open the door for us. When our eyes meet, I grin, and Lucas makes a face. Sourpuss. Lucas closes the door behind us, cutting off the howl of the wind.

Suddenly, I'm hyperaware of the chill  _inside_  the apartment. I can hear Toon's teeth chatter. "I-It's a little c-cold..."

Popo fondly socks him in the back. "This? You sissy, this is  _nothing_  compared to the mountains back home-"

"Stay here. I'll grab the electric heater from my room," Lucas says. He disappears down the hallway.

While he's gone, I rub the goosebumps from my arms and examine the picture frames on the mantlepiece. It's easy to see where Lucas gets his looks from. In the photo framed to the left is a tall Asian woman with a delicate, willowy frame whom I assume is his mom. The second shows his thick-shouldered dad frozen in the act of chopping wood. The last one has another boy giggling next to a young Lucas. He's trapped a laughing Lucas in a headlock and is staring straight at the camera with a sly smirk tugging on his lips. Except for his startling ginger hair, this kid looks identical to Lucas from head to toe.

Frowning, I pick it up. This boy looks oddly familiar-

"That's my twin brother."

Caught red-handed, I almost drop the frame from the mantelpiece. "Whothewhat."

"Dude, you have a twin brother?" Popo says, surprised.

Lucas tenses. "Yes."

"You never told me that you have a twin brother," I say, curiously flitting my eyes around the house. "Is he here?"

"He's not home." Lucas seems reluctant to talk, so I drop the subject, but I'm still reeling from the fact that Lucas is not an only child. Pushing a pile of blankets onto the couch, Lucas steps back as we make a scramble for them.

A blanket wrapped around his shoulders, Popo plops down and makes imaginary snow angels on the floor. "Oh yeah, this feels a lot better."

"Reminds me of my grandma's place," Toon adds wistfully. "Just without the ocean view."

Red gives Lucas a nod... of appreciation? Respect? Whatever that nod means.

Lucas rubs the back of his neck. "These are all the blankets I have, so if you still feel cold, you'll have to sit closer to the heater. You're all staying the night."

"My house is up north," I say quickly, feeling bad for inconveniencing him. "Lucas, we can all stay there-"

"There's a blizzard outside. I'm not kicking you out to freeze to death," comes his response, and I involuntary wince at his neutral tone - it's somehow colder than the raging snowstorm outside.

Lucas slips inside the kitchen.

Oblivious to Lucas's departure, Popo sits back up. There's a wicked glint in his eye. "Woah. A sleepover. I don't remember the last time we've had one of these for real-"

Toon's eyes flicker to the direction of the kitchen. "Lucas looks tired," he says quietly.

I spring up. "I'll go chec-"

"I got it," Red says. As if I haven't risen to my feet, he brushes past me.

All eyes are on me.

Then Popo sniggers into his hands. "Ohhh,  _shut down-"_

I scowl at him. "Wow. Real mature."

"Let's be real, Ness," Popo says, stretching his legs out with an easy grin. "I'm not the brightest bulb in the factory, but Red gave you a lucky save. You obviously haven't been in Lucas's good books for, what, a week? Two weeks? If he wanted to talk to you, then he would've already done it."

My heart twists itself into a knot. "He was busy-"

"He never picked up your call. He never  _returned_  your call. Isn't it obvious?" Popo leans forward, pressing his hands into the carpet. " _Lucas doesn't want to talk to you._ "

My shoulders deflate. "Yeah, I know," I mutter, scrunching my face up against the carpet, and in what was meant to be a sympathetic gesture, Popo claps me on the back. Lucas could hate me for all I cared; I just wanted to heal his goddamn bruises!

Toon hesitantly chimes in. "Hate to agree... but Popo's got a point. We  _did_  try to ambush Lucas only minutes ago. You should wait until he makes the first move-"

"Lucas wants to see you."

We jolt up in shock. Red's voice cuts through the quiet room like a butter knife.

"The-huh?" I sputter out, peeling my face off the carpet.

Red looks down at me from the doorway. His expression is disgustingly impassive. "Lucas wants to see you," he repeats in the air of a teacher explaining to a stupid numbskull why one plus one equals two.

But uh, well... shit. I scramble to my feet, only to stub my toes straight into the wall. "Oh. R-Right! I'll be back in a... uh, cool." Awkwardly trailing off, I hop away on my uninjured foot.

Lucas is waiting for me inside the kitchen. Upon hearing me, he meets my eyes head-on.

My nerves tingle.

Trying not to throw up the butterflies in my stomach, I breathe in. Keep it casual. Simple talk, Ness.

"Uh... howzitgoin?" I ask. Instantly, I want to slap myself. Of course Lucas  _isn't_  fine. For god's sake, his left eye is busted. I grip my hair and furiously shake my head. Aaaah, stupid, stupid, stupid!

Lucas doesn't seem to have realized my little fuck up. His eyes flicker to my feet. "Sorry about earlier," he mutters, instead reaching for my swollen ankles. "I hit you pretty hard-"

"I'm okay," I say quickly.

"You took the brunt of the attack-"

"But you pulled back," I wiggle my foot. "See? Not frozen."

Lucas studies my face. "You look... tired."

"Says Dark Pit calling the kettle black." Making an angry noise, I pull his arm over. "You need to take better care of yourself," I say, poking a bruise. Lucas winces, but doesn't pull back, so I take that as the cue to assess his injuries. "I can't believe it. You leave the mansion for  _one_  week, and you get yourself trashed-"

"I was mugged."

Ignoring his complaint, I prod his wrist. Unsprained, much to my relief. "Did they steal anything?"

"My phone."

"Oh." I swallow hard, suddenly unable to look in him the eye. "I thought you were avoiding me."

Lucas's expression softens. "You were worried."

"Me, worried? Well  _no shit,_ I was. I was THIS CLOSE to filing a missing person report to the police," I throw him a dirty scowl. "You, sir, are a dumbass. What were you thinking, taking a walk in this weather?"

Lucas doesn't say anything, but I feel him shift slightly beside me. He's refusing to meet my eyes. Is he feeling self-conscious again?

I lightly sock him in the shoulder. "You're an idiot," I say matter-of-factly.

"That must be it."

"Oh, you little weirdo you." Fondly, I ruffle his hair. "C'mon, let's get you patched up."

Lucas breaks into a wide smile.

Fuck. I drop his hand, floundering around before catching sight of his bruises. His PK Freeze was unusually weak. I bet that Lucas used up most of his psychic energy trying to heal his dad. He's always been selfless to a fault.

My hands glow like warm brands. "Can I?"

Lucas shrugs off my jacket, handing it over, then tugs up his sleeves.

I press my hands against the many bruises peppered against his skin. His ankles. His sides. His arms. They fade in a green glow of magic, and relieved, I watch his skin return to its pale color. I can sense Lucas watching me the entire time, but I pretend not to notice, concentrating on healing his injuries.

Finally, I lift my hands to his bruised face. Lucas is still watching me.

I falter. "Uh, I-"

Without breaking eye contact, Lucas leans forward. Before I know it, he's pressed both of my glowing hands to his own face. Unable to look away, I freeze up, my breath stuck in my throat. Lucas's eyes remind me of a clear, cloudless sky - the same sky we flew our kites overhead, the same sky we played tag underneath. My PSI shimmers and melts into his skin. His cheeks are soft under my palms.

Closing his eyes, Lucas cracks a satisfied smile. A low hum escapes from his lips. "Your hands feel warm," he murmurs, keeping my hands pressed against his face.

A hot surge of blood roars in my ears. Feeling my own face burn like a flame, I squeeze my eyes shut. Fuck, not again! I  _refuse_  to weird him out again!

The glow dies. I quickly let go of his face. "You've got dried blood on your face," I mutter, turning around to grab a neglected rag from the kitchen table.

"Where."

"Here. On the corner of..." I swallow. "Your mouth."

Twisting his arm around, Lucas wipes his face with the back of his hand. "Is it gone."

"No, it's-" I clap a hand over my mouth to resist a snort. "Stop looking at me!"

Lucas furrows his eyebrows. "Where do you want me to look."

"I don't know, somewhere else? It's pretty damn hard to focus without you staring at me like that!" I say, aghast, and run my fingers through my hair. "I feel like you're waiting for me to screw up."

Lucas cracks a wide grin. The second I've seen all day. "How did you know."

"Shut up, stupid." I poke his face. "Close your eyes."

Training his eyes on the rag in my hand, Lucas looks at me in growing uncertainty. "I can do it myself, Ness-"

"Close your eyes," I repeat, covering his eyes with my free hand. I nervously wet my own lips. "I can't... I don't think I can do it with you staring at me."

Lucas falls silent. To my surprise, he doesn't push my hand away.

When I tentatively part my fingers over his face, I see that he's shut his eyes. I've never noticed how delicate his lashes are, so light against his pale face. My eyes fall to the dried blood on his lips. My chest constricts. I should've been there for him. I should've set out earlier. I swore not to get him hurt after Subspace Emissary, and now, here he was, half-beaten to death by group of thugs. A group of thugs  _I_  had been responsible for disbanding.

Afraid of hurting him, I press the wet rag against his mouth as lightly as I can. "Does this hurt?"

"No."

"Good." This time, I grab his face over. He tries to pull away, but I scowl. "Stay still!"

"This isn't the best-"

"Stay," I say sternly. When he complies, slumping over so that his shoulders slouch in, I take advantage of his open sides and tickle him, forcing Lucas to recoil away from my fingers with a breathy laugh. Looking appalled by his own outburst, he scoots out of reach.

I break into crooked smile. "Gotcha."

"You  _tricked_  me," he says mournfully.

"Yeah, yeah, all right. I won't mess around this time, you big goof," I say, poking him in the shoulder. When Lucas doesn't close his eyes, tossing me a perfectly betrayed look, I whine, "Seriously, close your eyes. I won't tickle you again, I swear."

Lucas reluctantly shifts closer, his eyes lingering on my fingers. This time, he's wary of my tricks, but I keep my word, and he closes his eyes again much to my relief. I dab the cut clean, then slowly lift the rag away. The edge of Lucas's shirt has slipped over his right collarbone, revealing the bare nape of his neck. His glistening lips part slightly, wet and inviting.

I swallow down the lump in my throat. Fuck, I want to kiss him so badly that it hurts. And if I lean over the right way, just a little closer... My eyes flicker back to Lucas's face. Even now, his eyes stay closed. Lucas trusted me to do the right thing. He trusted me even though I couldn't trust myself.

Samus was right. I'm taking advantage of him.

Rearing back, I plop the wet rag onto the table. I don't think it's possible to feel so much shame in one go. "You're all good."

Lucas's eyes flutter open. He presses his hand against his cheek and tests his jaw. "Thanks."

Pointedly staring away from his lips, I tug the brim of my cap over my flaming face. "Well, I'll let you do... whatever you have to do," I mumble, rising onto my feet.

Lucas catches my hand.

Unable to comprehend his move, my eyes widen down at his fingers, then follow his arm to his face.

Lucas's expression is inscrutable. "Cook with me."

Dumbfounded, I stare at him. Me, cook? The last time I tried to "cook" was two years ago, and I was popping popcorn. I ended up exploding the microwave oven and burning all of the popcorn kernels. Lucas was there when it had happened. He  _knows_  that I can't cook for my life.

My eyes dart over to his microwave in fear. Last week, I almost demolished our friendship with a wreckingball,  _twice._  The last thing I want to do is blow up Lucas's kitchen. I clear my throat, preparing an intelligent reason on why I shouldn't be allowed anywhere remotely  _near_  a pan, but the words fall out of my mouth like, "Buhbuhbuh."

Pushing himself onto his feet, Lucas drags me along by the wrist with surprising force. "I can teach you."

Walking into the kitchen, Lucas lets go of my hand, then flicks his fingers. A blue fire jumps out of the stove with a loud  _whoosh_. I watch it, agape, wondering how often Lucas used his powers to cook, but Lucas quickly returns with a pair of carrots and a skinner. He shows me how to peel them, then bustles over to the other side of the kitchen to slide out the cutting board. He doesn't say anything, but I know that if I screw up, he'll throw me out of the kitchen. Probably.

I'm not nervous at all.

Fuck, I'm  _terrified._

But skinning carrots isn't as bad as it sounds, and within minutes, I'm furiously peeling them like a pro. Skinning vegetables is cathartic in a strange way, with the mindless  _forwards-backwards_  motion of my arm on repeat and the smooth  _scrape_  tickling my ears. When Lucas comes around, I proudly show the carrots off, and taking them away to chop into the stew, he leaves me with a freshly-washed potato.

Halfway through peeling my potato, I steal a glance in his direction. Lucas is scraping the chopped vegetables off his cutting board. His brow is furrowed in concentration. When he finishes up slicing the onions into tiny bits, he catches my eye.

Hiding a grin, I return to peeling my potato.

Not two minutes later, we're staring at the minced efforts of my work. Potato shavings of all sizes miserably flop over the counter in soggy strips.

"Oops," I say.

Lucas plucks out the sad remains of my potato - a cube no larger than a dice. "Ness, you demolished the potato," Lucas says patiently, setting the cube down.

"It's okay. Nobody likes potatoes."

"You eat fries all the time-"

"I hate potatoes," I declare, poking the shavings like they're cursed. "They're posers. Silly brown veggies loaded with carbs."

Shaking his head, Lucas picks up my pitiful excuse of a potato and plops it into a separate pot full of water.

I watch the sad piece of potato bob up and down. "I wonder who'll end up eating it. It'll be like winning the lottery."

"An unlucky lottery."

"My potato's high quality," I decide.

Lucas makes a noise between a snort and a laugh.

Pretending to be offended, I make a grab at his face, which Lucas easily avoids with his stupid height. "Did you just roll your eyes at me?"

"I would never," he says innocently.

Good god, I missed that deadpan snark.

Lucas slides a lid over our soup to let it simmer overnight, then opens a second pot. Steam hisses as moisture drips off the lid into the flames. With a smooth  _scrape,_  Lucas empties out the sliced onions into the simmering soup. "I appreciate you coming to check on me, but I'm fine, Ness. I can take care of myself."

"I know," I say quietly. "That's why I want to help."

Lucas falls silent. Grabbing a ladle, he returns to the kitchen stove. "Have some soup. I don't want you catching a cold."

I trail after him like a lovesick puppy. "Why didn't you tell us that you left?"

"My dad got sick. I wanted to leave for home as soon as I could."

I bite off the urge to say,  _Well if Chuck Norris could aim a rifle at my head, then I think he's feeling pretty good and dandy._ Okay, it's a mean retort, and I get that his dad probably wants to stay armed in a dangerous neighborhood, but goddamn, when a burly man the size of a barge aims a pistol at your head like the first-player shooter in Call of Duty, it seriously messes with your mental psyche. So forgive me if I'm terrified by the hardcore chelovek that is Lucas's dad.

But taking a glance at Lucas, his face looking so haggard and worn out from sleepless nights, I can't bring myself to snark back at him. Even if Lucas doesn't voice his thoughts out loud, I know that he wouldn't have returned to Onett if he wasn't so worried about his dad.

I uneasily pick at my nails. My dad's a prick, but that's  _my_  dad. Not Lucas's dad. I don't know shit about Lucas's dad, and while he could be a major dick for all I knew, Lucas seems to care about him. That has to count for something, right?

I swallow down the lump in my throat. "Is your dad okay?"

"Yeah, he's getting better."

"That's good."

Lucas's eyes flickers over to my face. He starts speaking in that halting, hesitant tone of his again, the odd statement-like question, and it's so familiar that I want to cry of happiness. "Did... Did my dad traumatize you."

Holy fuck he sure did. "Psh, no."

The corners of Lucas's lip twitch into a smile. "He likes to stay in his room, so you don't have to worry about bumping into him."

 

I finally exhale the breath that I had no idea I'd been holding this entire time.  _"_ Thank god."

Shuffling away, Lucas sprinkles pepper into the broth, and I watch him, feeling my worry finally evaporate from my shoulders and swearing  _thanks_  to all the high heavens that Lucas hadn't gotten himself kidnapped or abused or worse. If he'd gone missing from patrol duty... oh man. No joke, patrol duty was - surprise, surprise - dangerous as fuck. Who knew what villain we'd be pitted against next?

Half-closing my eyes, I can't help the rueful tone. "Well, at least I know you're not lying dead in some ditch."

I see Lucas's shoulders slump. "I thought I'd be back after a day or two," he admits. "I didn't expect to be staying here for so long."

It's my turn to make the little exasperated noise like he does, and rest my head against the small of his back. Lucas has difficulty relying on others, because he's so used to doing everything by himself. And the fucking self-aware dolt he is, Lucas "absolves" this by distancing himself during hard times. My stomach gives an unpleasant jolt. Whenever Lucas pulls these...  _stunts_  without telling anyone, vanishing off into the middle of nowhere, I don't know whether to be frustrated or worried. I decide to aim for the latter, as this time, it was partially my fault.

"Well, don't disappear on us like that. When you didn't show up for a few days..." Exhaling, I grip the back of his T-shirt. "I thought something bad happened to you."

Great, now I'm acting like a clingy ex. I may as well start warbling  _Romeo and Juliet_  on the spot.

But Lucas doesn't seem to think that way. He stops stirring the soup. "I'm sorry I worried you," he says gently.

I sling my arm over his shoulders. "Damn right you should be."

Flustering, Lucas pushes me away. "Ness, some space..."

I realize that I'm blocking the stove. "Oh. Right." Disappointed, I fall back and watch him longingly. Damn it, I want to hug him so badly. It's been days since we've last talked, but I've forgotten how much Lucas hated me getting too touchy-feely, even though he generally tolerated my hugs. Seeing him again makes me feel terribly giddy and weak in the knees like a lovestruck school girl.

As if sensing my thoughts, Lucas bites down on the corner of his lip. "Hugs are okay," he admits, his face turning red. "But my dad's here, and I don't want him getting the wrong idea-"

I perk up. Fuck yeah if that isn't a big fat _HUG ME._

Drunk on my own daring, I lean over, balancing myself onto the tips of my toes. Before Lucas can turn around, I blow a comically loud raspberry against his neck.

Emitting a sharp gasp, Lucas jolts so violently that he nearly upturns the pot of soup. I crack up cackling, and when he whirls around, dropping the soup ladle with a clatter, I laugh harder at the indignant look on his face. As suicidal as it is, I like pushing him to the limits of his patience. I like breaking his composure. Man, I'm a horrible person.

I pick up the dirty ladle. "Truce?" I offer.

Lucas makes an awkward fumble for the handle. "I'm... washing this."

I smile. "Sure."

Watching him scrub the dirty ladle clean with a furious vigor, I feel my smile fall into a frown. On an ordinary day, Lucas easily shrugs off whatever silly prank I play on him. It isn't like him to be so disturbingly unsettled. My hands drop back to my sides. Hell this isn't the first time I've seen Lucas on edge, but he seems unusually tense. It's like coming home has rendered him incapable of expressing himself. No, not  _incapable._  Uncomfortable. Lucas is  _uncomfortable_  of openly expressing himself at home. Is his father that intimidating?

Yeah, I think so.

My house is never quiet. It's always noisy with me squabbling my little sister, and my hot-headed mom yelling  _inside voices!_  But then I think of Lucas's family - or what's left of it - and I can't imagine Lucas's dad showering his son with affection. No wonder Lucas keeps his emotions under wraps.

Curious, I poke Lucas in the back to grab his attention. When Lucas continues to ignore me, I retaliate with a grin, pressing my hands up against his shoulder blades.

Lucas stiffens up under my touch.

"Sorry," I say quickly, catching the look of discomfort in his eyes - I'm not  _that_  much of a jerk - and am about to lift my hands off when something else catches my attention. My frown deepens when I hesitantly trail my hands up to his exposed shoulders. His skin is like a hard block of ice under my palms.

Suddenly the symptoms add up. Shortness of breath. Dizzy spells. Cold skin. Fatigue.

"You didn't eat your iron pills," I accuse him.

"I forgot."

"You  _forgot?"_ I say incredulously. "See, this why you keep feeling tired!"

Lucas reaches for a can of tinned peaches. I tentatively poke him the arm, only to recoil with a grimace. It's cold. Too cold. No shit, this is bad for him. Normally, I'd hug him until he got warm, but Lucas said no hugs around his dad, so...

"Mmph." Making an unhappy noise, I press the side of my cheek against his back, trying to radiate the heat back into his body with my PSI. This will do for now.

To my delight, Lucas's face is  _burning -_  a dark flush is beginning to creep down the back of neck and spread across the back of his arms. So it's true that his blush colors his entire skin. I prod his back through his t-shirt, warming him up, and fall back, satisfied, when the rosy flush returns to its usual pale color.

The second I lift my hands off, Lucas jerks away, shoving a sloshing bowl of soup into my chest. "Take your serving. Tell Red to come over. H-He can help me set up the table."

To my dismay, he still sounds a little breathless. His anemia must be acting up again.

"Why?" I whine. "I can set up the table-"

"Go rest. I feel a lot better now."

Is he really? I can never read his stupid pokerface. Feeling an awkward mixture of incredibly turned on and terribly apologetic, I watch him pour more soup into each bowl. The not-so-saint-like side of me _almost_ tempts me to repeat the "raspberry" stunt again - just to see how far Lucas's blush can spread in his embarrassment - but once is already pushing it. Twice, and I may as well ask to get socked in the face. Besides, Lucas is pouring hot soup, and I don't want him to accidentally spill it over himself. I wanna be affectionate, not be a troublemaker, and above all, I wanna respect his personal space.

Torn between leaving and staying, I find myself watching him attentively. God, I love this skinny idiot.

Lucas glances back, furrowing his eyebrows. "What are you looking at."

"You."

Lucas stops in place.

Realizing my horrible mistake too late, I feel my own cheeks flush. "N-No, I mean..." Wow, way to sound gay. I tug the brim of the cap over my mortified face. "You don't... you don't have bags under your eyes," I say shyly, even though my lips are too awkward and my heart is pounding madly in my chest. "I'm glad that you're feeling better."

Dropping his eyes, Lucas ducks his head and turns around to face the stove. His flustered flush creeps up the back of his exposed ears.

Mission complete.

Sliding off the counter, I quickly leave, grinning like an idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Casually dumps Ocarina of Time references of Link's mother because Wind Walker neglects to mention where Toon's parents are  
> *I have a headcannon that Lucas suffers from iron deficiency anemia ayyy  
> *Implied: While most yaoi shippers often tend to be female (as they are the main targeted demographic), yaoi shippers can either gender. I happened to use fangirls in this chapter. All genders of unspecified, unnamed characters are interchangeable.
> 
> "For the Power of Love" is an actual name of one of my fanfics. It's not a Nesscas fic by any means, but it's a generic high school au that I wanted to put in as a cameo to sappy titles ;) Aside from that, any fanfic titles/plots that DO happen to exist is mere coincidence and should be regarded as such. I had too much fun making up corny names!


	12. A Little Stupid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two dorks do a stupid dare.

[no prologue]

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~ _ **Chapter Twelve**_ ~

_**A Little Stupid** _

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After a lonely week to myself, I thought that I would've been overwhelmed by Ness's boundless energy, but he easily slipped back into my life as if he'd never left. He popped his head up everywhere I went, talking my ears off and making dorky gestures with his hands. Hanging around him is like downing a double chocolate chip frappicino - all caffeine and sugar until I crash from sensory overload.

He looks a far cry from the miserable lump of blankets that Red described.

Wanting to keep a closer eye on him, I asked Ness to cook with me, but to my surprise, Ness seemed genuinely happy, and it showed. Apart from fussing over me more than usual and making me fluster on occasion, he was all happy smiles.

I miss my space... but maybe I missed him too.

Ness once again has returned to being an obliviously cheerful chatterbox, throwing any signs of his previous shyness out the window. He must have noticed my discomfort in the kitchen, on edge and stiff-faced about everything, but I'm grateful when he doesn't bring it up. All of a sudden, I'm beginning to feel self-conscious whenever Ness is around. It's as though I'm seeing him through a pair of glasses - a new pair with tinted lenses. I see things that I wouldn't have caught earlier. The way Ness beams like each smile is worth something. How his hair refuses to be tamed.

Because I can no longer see Ness as just a friend. Somewhere along the way, the line between  _friend_  and  _something else_  has smudged, and I have a lingering suspicion I know exactly what that  _something else_  is. It's scary, terrifying, and completely off the deep end.

It's not that I don't like Ness, but I don't love him. Not in that way. We're close friends, and it's best to stay close friends. I recall the distress in Paula's eyes. I recall the heavy weariness that Ness's mom now seems to bear.

Ness is just my friend. Ness is just my best friend.

While we were washing our hands in the bathroom, I caught the chance to talk and ended up apologizing to Ness for my rude behavior. He broke into one of the biggest shit-eating grins I'd ever seen and socked me in the shoulder.

I flicked my wet hands at him in revenge.

Dinner is reheated leftovers and canned fruit. I didn't expect so many visitors in one go, any if at all, and the almost empty pantry is evidence of that. I make a mental note to go grocery shopping tomorrow.

Halfway through another one of Ness's dorky "hand waving" stories at the table, I slip out to check on my dad. When I find him fast asleep, I set aside a bowl on his desk and walk out of the room. It's only after I shut the door that I finally begin to relax, knowing that my dad is out for the count, but I just feel tired and worn out.

With five people, the dishes are quickly cleared and washed. As each person takes turns to shower, I manage to salvage a couple of old, oversized shirts and pants from my wardrobe. Everyone dresses into my spare change of clothes with varying degrees of success; the pajamas fit Red perfectly, perhaps falling a bit short and riding up his hips, but for everyone else, it's a different story.

"Are you sure you're wearing a shirt?" Popo crows out, pointing at Ness's fashion statement in glee. "Looks like the  _shirt's_  wearing  _you."_

Swimming in my shirt, Ness tugs it down, his face a bright red. "Speak for yourself."

"Touché, but I wear it better," Popo says cheerfully.

Poor Toon looks like the shirt is swallowing him up whole. I throw him a guilty look, but he laughs it off. "I always sleep in an oversized shirt," Toon admits, yawning and stretching his arms.

They all look like they've had a rough day. Red wearily tips his hat in my direction before staggering over to his share of the floor to sleep.

"Sorry for intruding on your property," Toon announces, serious-faced, breaking into a bow, and I blink.

"Don't be. I'm not exactly the proper host," I say, glancing sheepishly at the meager pile of blankets on the couch. It's just me and my dad living in the apartment, and the arrival of four guests cramps up the space considerably. Seeing that Toon is still shivering, I crank up the electric heater.

"Ayyy, Lucas," Popo waves, lying sprawled against the floor. "Come play truth and dare with us."

Tired, I rub my eyes. "Maybe not tonight."

"Aw, but Lucas-"

Then Ness comes to the rescue, quickly punching Popo in the shoulder to shut up, and I watch the two squabble it out again, arguing over the best way spend the time. Eventually, they settle for watching a movie, and I pull out a random black-and-white from my dad's old collection.

"Mystery movie?  _Sweet,_ " Popo laughs, stretching his fingers. "This is going to be great."

It's probably not the best move on my part, because an hour later, everyone - save for one person - is fast asleep. I hear a rustle of blankets before Ness shifts against my side. He's wearing one of my older t-shirts, the one that says,  _Merry Shitscram_ , and in a way, the logo suits him well.

"The championships are coming up," he says suddenly, jerking my head out of a sleepy stupor.

I watch the woman lament over something on the screen. "I won't lose to you in the one v one."

"I'm not going easy on you either."

"Good."

The air feels unusually heavy. Ness is uncomfortable, and I can tell by the way his sock-clad feet won't sit still. "Solo battles aside, it's the double team brawl."

I catch the hidden invitation. "You can always count on me."

Ness's shoulders finally relax. He turns to the TV with a grin. "Let's get that gold down this year."

Settling down into the carpet, I make a noise of affirmation. I'm not too keen on fighting, but whenever Ness was involved, it somehow mattered. He's like Claus in that regard, knowing which of my buttons to press, and I find that I can't lose to him. Or rather, that I  _don't_  want to lose to him. He fuels the nonexistent competitive streak that I apparently have.

On the screen, the swooning couple has furiously engaged themselves in an extremely sensual lip lock, and I look away, feeling the back of my neck burn. I don't understand the appeal of kissing. It sounds kind of gross, shoving your tongue down someone else's throat.

"What's it like to kiss a girl?" I blurt out before I can stop myself.

Whirling around, Ness's face turns a bright pink. "Huuuh?" he says, his voice rising comically to a high pitch. "How would  _I_  know?"

I blink in surprise. "I thought you had experience."

"I... I don't!" Ness sputters, sounding appalled. Ness's face colors up in sheer mortification before he gloomily faces the floor. "I've never kissed anyone before."

The kissy noises intensify from the TV, and I make a mental note never to bring out another one of my dad's old DVDs. He has horrible taste.

"Your mom kisses you," I say reasonably, trying to keep my attention away from the enthusiastically passionate display on the screen, and Ness starts so violently that he topples over.

"But that's, what no," Ness suddenly chokes. "Lucas, you've never  _liked_  anyone, have you?"

"Liked? As in..."

"Had feelings for someone."

"Not that I know of," I say softly. "I think I had a crush once, but it's not exactly the same thing."

"You've crushed on someone before?!" is all Ness asks, wide-eyed in disbelief.

I give a quiet laugh under my breath. "I think it was more like puppy love, to be honest. Nothing serious." Something about Ness's surprised tone throws me off-guard, and I turn to him with a frown. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just trying to wrap my head around it." Ness sheepishly shuffles in place. "I never would've pegged you for someone who'd, you know. Like someone. Like, you never seemed interested in that kind of stuff. No offense," Ness adds hastily, and mulling over it, I give a hum of agreement. It's true. It's not that I haven't noticed girls before - smart girls, pretty girls, short girls, tall girls - but talking to people is  _terrifying,_  and frankly, I've never had a particularly strong inclination to go around and make friends, much less date anyone. I don't think that I can bear the weight of that pressure. I can barely manage my own life; handling someone else's on top of that sounds daunting.

As I try explaining this to him, Ness's frown eases. He falls back, leaning on his hands, but from the corner of my eyes, Ness is still staring at me with a look that I can't quite get.

Suddenly, he sits up straighter. "When did it happen?"

"A few years ago." I feel my cheeks burn a bit brighter. This is a little weird, talking to my past crush about my feelings. "It's not a big deal, Ness."

"Who was it?" Ness asks stubbornly.

I clamp my mouth shut. I'm determined to stay silent.

Ness slumps forward into the blankets. "Lucas, you can't spill all this out then say nothing _."_

I silently disagree with him and proceed to lazily rake my eyes over the TV screen. For the tenth time that night, I regret the horrible pick in a movie.  _The Amazing M_ _adame Garcie._  It sounds like something my dad would sit and watch with my mom.

I wonder if my dad ever grows lonely at home by himself. I can imagine him watching these cheesy 70s chick-flicks during his own time, alone and curled up on the couch. Immediately, I shoot the thought down. My dad doesn't like to leave Onett. If he missed me, then he would've found a chance to stop by. Ness's mom has already managed to do so, visiting Ness whenever Tracy doesn't have school. It's the only reason Ness's family hasn't moved to Smash City.

Ness's voice breaks into my thoughts. "I won't let it go until you tell me. _"_

Turning to the side, I acknowledge him with one of my slow blinks. He should've learned that he can't pry anything out of me that easily.

But Ness is persistent. "Who was it? How did I not know? Why didn't you tell me? How-"

"That's more than one question."

"Ha! You talked!"

"Only because you won't stop." My ears begin to burn. I took this as the cue to rise to my feet and turn the TV off. Neither of us are watching  _Madame Garcie_  anyway.

Wide-eyed in curiosity, Ness leans over, lowering his voice. "Was she pretty?"

"Stop," I groan.

"Did you ever tell her?"

I drop the DVD disk back into its plastic seal.

"I bet she was tall."

"Really," I say, aghast, and shove a hand into my hair. "Ness, I - you know what, okay fine, I'll let you believe whatever'll help you sleep at night."

Predictably, Ness starts sulking. "It's not fair. You never tell me everything."

The corners of my lips twitch up. It's not my fault that he can't keep his mouth shut.

"I want to know," he whines childishly.

I raise my eyebrows.

Ness swallows. His voice settles into nervous butterflies. "I told you that you were the first person I've ever liked. It can't get any more embarrassing than that."

I pause. He's got me there. I can't turn him down without a good excuse, and I don't have one.

Maybe I'm really making a bigger deal of this than it's worth. There isn't exactly any harm in telling him, is there? It's not like I still  _like_  Ness back anymore, and with everything that's been going on, he could use a good ego booster.

Still, the traitorous flush on my cheeks refuses to leave. "It's someone you know."

"Nana. Lucina. Samus," Ness instantly shoots off off as if reading off a list. I scrunch my face up at the latter, and Ness defensively points out, "Come on, every guy's had a crush on her at some point - fine. Zelda? Peach?"

"You're going higher up the age ladder."

"They're engaged too," Ness agrees thoughtfully. "I can't think of anyone else. You said crush, so... Lady Kamui? Bayonetta?"

I swallow hard. "It... it wasn't a girl."

"You liked... "

"He was a nice person, but I thought we were better off as friends," I say, carefully looking into his face.

Ness looks astonished. Jaw dropping to the floor, he vigorously shakes his head, turning his hair into even more of a disheveled mess. "It can't be..." His eyes widen a fraction before he gives a furious wail and tears at his hair. "Damn you, Popo-!"

"I'm talking about you."

Ness's sudden silence is unnerving. Lowering his hands to his lap, he stares blankly at me like I suggested skinny dipping in molten lava. "You liked  _me?"_

Suddenly, I'm hyperaware of his eyes on me, and turn away. "I used to," I mumble.

Ness's forehead creases into a frown, but he looks more confused than anything. "Why?"

"I don't know. Why do you like me?"

"...good point."

We say nothing for a while, the comfortable silence for once unbroken by Ness's constant chatter.

"You... liked me." Slowly, Ness squats down into the blankets with the goofiest smile growing on his face. It's the kind of smile that dimples his cheeks and brightens his eyes, and he looks so happy that I find myself smiling along with him. "Huh."

My job as  _egobooster_ complete, I rise to my feet. "It's getting late. We should go to bed-"

"Can I kiss you?"

I almost trip over at the surprise question, but this time, I'm not as completely opposed to the thought as I used to be. The sudden shift in thought is terrifying.

"Ness," I say, sounding a bit strangled. "We aren't going through this again."

"No, I mean... Let me kiss you. As friends," Ness adds hastily, but he's blushing so furiously down into his lap that it gives the entire point away.

"You know why I won't," I say softly, and as if on cue, his face falls. It always hurts, it always does, but it's undoubtedly crueler to let him kiss me when I no longer feel the same way.

But this time, Ness doesn't look depressed; his expression turns frustrated, and he shakes his head. "No, it's like... it's not what you think. What I meant was- ugh!" Ness grips his temples and starts rambling. "It might sound crazy but I really think I'm starting to get over you and I know I am but I don't know so I want to be sure-"

Somehow, I make sense of his muddled words and raise my eyebrows. "You want to prove that you're over your feelings... by kissing me."

"Yeah!" Ness says, earnestly perking his head up.

Instantly, I feel a hot flush spike up my face. "There are other ways to show that you're over your feelings, Ness, and kissing me is not one of them!"

"It'd be like a stupid dare," Ness says cheerfully, and I have a feeling that the idiot is secretly laughing at me in the inside for successfully making me flustered.

"You're talking to me, and you can't even look me in the eye," I point out.

This wipes the grin off his face. Ness furrows his eyebrows. "Yeah, I can."

"No, you can't."

"I'm looking at you now, aren't I?" Ness insists, tugging on my shirt.

"Now you're looking away."

"Wh-What does that have to do with anything?"

I give him a skeptical look. "You can't kiss me, Ness. Dare or otherwise-"

"Fine, you wanna bet?!" Ness challenges, puffing up his cheeks in indignation. "I'll do it right now if you say so."

It's a stupid idea, really. It's easily the dumbest idea I've ever heard, and I open my mouth to shoot him down only to stop midway because my mind is spiraling from the sheer idiocy of his words.

Thinking back to this moment, I still have no idea what came over my head. Maybe it was the cold numbing my brain. Maybe it was the fatigue clouding my thoughts. But all I can remember is staring straight into Ness's eyes, and wanting to prove him wrong.

He doesn't have the guts to kiss me. He can't do it.

Challenge accepted.

Ness is stuck in a stupefied stupor, unable to understand the word of agreement that has passed out of my mouth, and only jerks back into reality when I sit down, facing him with the blankest expression I can muster. "Whenever you're ready."

Eyes widening in pure shock, Ness snaps his head up. He swallows, and his Adam's apple bobs. "Right."

He crawls forward one inch. Two.

Then as if skewered by my gaze, Ness has all but frozen in place. "Fuck."

"Scared?" I smirk.

"Shut up, I've never kissed anyone before!" Ness squeaks, jumping to his feet, and I follow. In fact, he looks even more terrified than _I_  do. Eyes bugging out of his head, he reaches up for my shoulders with shaking hands. "How... How the  _hell_  does this work?"

"Don't ask me," I say, and promptly start choking when Ness accidentally yanks me down harder than he meant by the collar of my shirt. "N-Ness, you're strangling me-"

"You're too tall," Ness hisses back, fisting my sleeves and giving them a small tug. "Bend over."

I squat down. My eyes sheepishly trail over his offended face. "This is awkward."

"Well, I'm sorry that we can't all be like you, Mr. High-and-Mighty."

"We should sit down, you're killing my back," I say tiredly.

Begrudgingly admitting my words, Ness plops back down, crossing his legs, but somehow forgets about the death grip on my shirt and almost strangles me alive a second time. Alarmed, he lets go as I turn away to cough, weakly retching into my hands.

"Lucas? Lucas?! Ah fuck, I screwed up, didn't I?" Ness is wailing like a dying cat, and I'm surprised that none of the others have woken up from the noise. "You know, on second thought, we don't really have to do this-"

"Good, because I'm never kissing you again," I say fervently.

The scowl returns to his face. "Shut up and move, you dipshit. I can't kiss you if your face is all the way over there," he says, furiously scooting forward, but I'm so much taller than him that it forces me to uncross my legs and spread them across either side of his lap.

It starts to hit me that he may  _actually_  be serious about this, and I glance uncertainly at the other sleeping forms in the darkness. "You know, you can back out anytime-"

Ness rests his warm hands on top of my shoulders, and I automatically inhale sharply at the sudden touch. This is such a stupid idea. This is all such a stupid, stupid idea, and it's all I can do not to bolt and run out of the house.

"Ah..." Ness swallows. "Are you  _sure_  you're okay?"

My knees are shaking, and I'm so, so scared of his fingers, but I jerk my head into a nod (because I have nothing to worry about, Ness doesn't have the guts to do it, he wouldn't), and Ness leans over, sliding his hand up my neck. I catch the fragrance of my mint toothpaste from his breath before his half-lidded eyes flutter in front of my face. From this angle, I can make out glowing purple rings in his eyes. His eyes have that serious determination burning in them, the same kind he gets when he's in the middle of a brawl.

Up close, Ness's cheeks are dusted a faint pink, and I know that mine are too even though this is just a stupid, embarrassing dare that friends do. Like the time when Popo went around betting all the smashers five bucks to beat him at gay chicken. Or the time Red soundly destroyed everyone's dignity on Rainbow Road with nothing but a sprained thumb and a broken Wii controller.

Ness is just my friend. Ness is just my best friend.

My neck is starting to cramp up, and Ness's hand is beginning to feel moist against my face. Suddenly, a weak, high-pitched noise of terror escapes from Ness's mouth, and in that split instant, I see the growing crack in his brave mask. Ness is losing his nerve.

I'm right. He can't do it.

Something inside me exhales in relief. I make to stand up. "Well, I guess that's that-"

"One second. Give me one second," Ness insists stubbornly. He grips my shoulders, then exhales, closing his eyes. After a  _lot_  of seconds, Ness reopens them. He takes a deep breath. "I think I'm over you...  _now."_

"Okay," I say, humoring him.

"Try sitting next to me."

I scoot over. Our knees barely touch.

Ness flushes a bright red. Gulping audibly, he jerks his head down. "Damn it."

About a year ago, Ness got into the habit of cursing. I'm not opposed to vulgarity, seeing as many people in the roster mouthed off, but what Ness used to shrug off with a grin, he bristled and snapped at like the big bad wolf.

One year ago. That's when his parents' relationship started going down the drain.

Slowly, I reach out and squeeze his hand. It feels warm and soft, unlike my own calloused fingers.

Embarrassed, Ness yanks the brim of his cap over his unruly hair. "F-Fuck. This is a lot harder than I thought."

He's losing his drive. I knew it. The corner of my lips are in danger of twitching into a victorious smirk, and it takes every ounce of my will to make a straight face. "It wouldn't be hard if it were easy."

Ness takes another deep breath. "Okay, do over. Let's try this agai-" He freezes in place, finding my face barely an inch away. In fact, Ness looks so horrified that I'm having a hard time trying not to laugh.

"Too close?" I ask.

"No! I was just surprised-"

"Ness."

His shoulders slump over into a sulk. His huge pride won't let him admit defeat. "Yeah," he mutters.

I shift to the side, and Ness loosens his grip on my arms, lowering his head in misery. His hat hangs crookedly over his face, so I playfully knock it off his hair, but this only triggers another sulking noise from him. Shaking my head at his stubbornness, I laugh quietly into his shoulder, and even if he couldn't hear it, he could definitely feel it vibrate across my chest.

Ness's voice sounds muffled against my shirt. "It's not funny..."

"Sorry," I say, trying to sound apologetic, but it's not working, not when I'm distracted by his hair tickling my nose. I've got a serious case of sweet tooth, and it shows in my shampoo collection.

Ness stiffens up. "Are you sniffing my hair?"

"No." I blow it away. "It's in my face."

He wrinkles his nose. "My hair smells like chocolate, no thanks to you."

"Chocolate is good," I agree. Everyone should convert to chocolate. Chocolate is god.

At this point, I've all but decided to claim my victory when Ness's grip tightens around my shoulders.

"Not yet," he says.

My eyes fly to his lowered face, but I can't catch his shadowed expression. Just the slight tremor in his voice. I decide to humor him however long it takes for him to give up.

Five minutes pass. He hasn't budged for a while, so I finally take pity on him and gently shake his shoulders. "Let's call it a day-"

"No homo," he suddenly says, and I catch the flash of determination burning in his eyes before he pulls my surprised face over.

There are no fireworks. There are no explosions or flying rainbows of happiness. All I feel is something warm, soft, and wet against my lips, and it takes me a full second to realize that what the hell, this idiot is actually  _kissing_  me, and I'm not entirely sure if he's doing it right because it feels all wet and weird _._  Deciding that I've had enough, I've just about made up my mind to pull back until Ness grabs the back of my head and smacks our foreheads together. I break apart with a jolt of pain, tasting copper on my tongue.

"Shit!" Jumping back, Ness lifts the bottom of his borrowed shirt and tries to wipe the blood off my mouth, but I bat his arms away with a grimace.

"You bit me."

"D-Do over?" Ness suggests meekly.

I throw him a nasty look, and wipe my sore lips on the back of my palm.  _"Does this look like the face of mercy to you?"_ I say, and Ness starts stammering himself into shock. My split lip doesn't hurt much, but I try to focus as much as I can on the blood oozing out of the stinging cut, and not on the strange sensation of my stomach doing backflips.

"Did I hurt you? Fuck, I'm so sorry-"

Then it hits me again. This stupid dolt actually  _kissed_  me. I shove him aside, and Ness falls flat on his back with a cry.

"What was that for?" he says, aghast, pushing himself back up.

"You know why!"

"You said it was okay!"

"I didn't think you'd actually do it!" My cheeks aflame, I rub my aching head, finally fed up by his stupidity. Friends don't kiss friends! What the hell was Ness thinking?

Ness makes a face. "Well, it was kind of gross. And bloody."

"You bit my lip. What did you expect?" My mouth throbs painfully, and my head is still ringing from impact with his thick skull.

"...but that didn't mean I wouldn't try it again," he finishes thoughtfully. Ness's eyes look a bit dazed, but a happy sort of dazed, before he shakes his head to clear it off. Looking stupidly serious, he puffs out his chest. "You know what, you're a terrible kisser. I guess I don't really like you after all."

I sputter into an incoherent mess. Ness almost  _bit_  my bottom lip clean off, and now he's announcing how  _I_  am the terrible kisser. As if reading my mind, Ness shoots me a cocky smirk, and I promptly give up, deciding that it isn't worth my time to humor him any longer.

"Goodnight," I say, exasperated, and turn around.

"Wait!" Ness grabs my face with both hands. "PK Lifeup." A rush of hot magic infuses my cut lip before he pushes me away. "Okay, bye."

Somehow, I can still sense Ness grinning like a little shit behind me, and for some reason, I can't bring up the will to stay mad at him.

Maybe I'm a little stupid too.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Reading! :)


	13. I Share a Heart-to-Heart with An Apple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two dorks enjoy a round of video games on the bus.

[no prologue]

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~ _ **Chapter Thirteen**_ ~

_**I Share a Heart-to-Heart with An Apple** _

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Later in the afternoon, Lucas took a quick run to the grocery store. I offered to make the trip for him, but Lucas declined, saying that I should go home. I wasn't too thrilled with him going alone, not after he'd gotten himself mugged, so I insisted on tagging along.

The first thing that greets us is the heater. Seriously, as soon as the doors zing open, a tornado of hot air blasts us in the face.

Not that I'm complaining. It's a welcome change from the single digit hell outside.

We gratefully clamber inside.

The mart is crowded. There's a good number of people here, but thankfully, the cold weather gives us an excuse to cover up.

My incompetence with fruit-picking is evident from the minute I step into the produce aisle. Tugging the red woolen scarf from my sweaty neck, I pluck out an apple from its stand. "This good?"

"Let me see," Lucas says, reaching out for the fruit, and I nearly drop the apple when his fingers lightly brush against the back of my palm. Oblivious to my reaction, Lucas rolls the Fuji apple in his hands, then props it back. "Nah. This one's too soft."

"How can you tell?"

"You feel for it."

"Oh, I see." I crouch down level to the apple and give a slow, sympathetic nod. "I feel for you, bro."

Lucas stifles a laugh. "Not like that."

I made him laugh. My heart does a flip-flop, and unable to keep the stupid grin from spreading across my face, I look at him. "Then show me."

Lucas explains. To my surprise, he goes beyond a verbal demonstration, holding the apple in one hand and tilting my wrist with the other. "You check for the luster first."

I bite down on my lower lip. "Luster. Right."

"Then you check for a firm grip," he murmurs, carefully squeezing the apple over my fingers. "Like so."

I'm pretty sure my face is as red as the apple. "Uhuh." My eyes hopefully flicker to Lucas's face for a reaction, but it's disappointingly inexpressive. "And then...?"

Lucas withdraws his hand. "That's all there is to it," he says matter-of-factly, then walks away to check on the eggs.

I want to slap myself. God, he's so  _dense._

I try dropping more hints, nagging him about every vegetable I see. To my growing dismay, Lucas answers my questions the best he can, but doesn't reach for my hand again. Trying not to overthink it, I pinch myself in the arm _._  I know that I'm over-reacting. Lucas has made his feelings clear, and he isn't interested.

Currently.

A part of me can't help but hope. Lucas hadn't been entirely against liking me. He's had feelings for me before. I can wait for him to like me again.

Yeah, as if. I wince, thinking about how shaken up he was yesterday night. Touching Lucas is like treading on eggshells. One false move, and he'd crack. He's already so uncomfortable with me hugging him - if I tried anything funny, he'd never forgive me for sure.

Deep down, I know that expecting anything more is all wishful thinking. Lucas has already rejected me. He isn't the kind of person to go back on his word.

I can't risk pushing him away.

As I wait for Lucas to pay for his groceries in the sluggish checkout line, I find my eyes drifting to his shirt. He's wearing another one of his dorky old t-shirts again, a forest green one that says  _Crying is my Cardio._ I stifle a laugh. No wonder Lucas stays silent. His apparel speaks  _volumes_  about his character before he even opens his mouth.

But Lucas doesn't look out of place here. Nothing about him screams,  _I'M FROM THE FUTURE_. If he's even from the future. Hell, after watching Lucas struggle with a computer in third grade like it was some sort of alien contraption, I can safely confirm that he's probably from the past.

My eyes flicker to his face, and I notice how his forehead has creased into a light frown. Well, hello there; it's the stupid,  _zoned-out_  expression Lucas gets whenever he's lost in thought.

What a dork.

Waving furiously like an obnoxious five-year-old, I successfully manage to catch his attention. Lucas arches an eyebrow. When I scrunch up my nose and stick out my tongue in playful cheek, Lucas drops the expression and makes a silly face back.

He's out of my league. Out of my time, out of my league.

On the bus ride home, we end up sharing a seat. Pressed against the window, Lucas soundly destroys game after game on my phone, and halfway through his murderous plight to secure my top score in Temple Run, I peer over his shoulder in time to see a crowd of mutant monkeys devour his avatar. "Haha, you suck."

"The lag is real."

"Uh-huh. You keep telling yourself that."

Lucas's eyes flicker back to the screen. "Is that a challenge."

I swipe my phone back. "Hell yeah. I'm winning for sure."

Exactly one minute and forty seconds later, the dreaded  _Game Over_  flashes across my screen. Even without looking, Lucas has somehow tasted my humiliating defeat.

"You were saying," he says, and a hint of a smirk tugs on the corners of his lips.

I slam my hands into the bus seat. "Best two out of three!"

Lucas's smirk widens. "You're on."

It's not that I suck at Temple Run. I like to think that I'm fairly decent, but even I have to admit that it's  _pretty damn hard_ to concentrate when all I can think about is Lucas's stupid knee bumping against my thigh every couple of seconds from the jostling bus, and as much as I want to wipe that stupid smirk off his face, a part of me keeps wanting to smirk along at the same time.

After what is a pretty lousy, one-sided competition, Lucas shifts into his seat so that he's no longer pressed against the window. Something is bothering him, and I can tell by the way his forehead creases slightly in thought. "Ness, did you play your game before."

"My game?"

"Earthbound."

Strange question. I muse over it. "Once. It's back at home right now, but I remember that it was pretty accurate," I say honestly. "No, seriously though. It's kinda creepy how accurate they got my adventure down. Every single detail was on there. Even things I forgot. It came close to the real deal."

Lucas's frown deepens. "Where did you get it."

"I was lucky. I got the first copy straight from the gaming company when it was in production." I glance at Lucas, but as always, I can't read the expression on his face. "What's with all the questions?" I joke instead, elbowing him in the side. "Are you interrogating me? _"_

Slumped against the window, Lucas stares at the glowing highway lights. "I don't remember anything about my adventure."

My smile falls, and I close my mouth. His words echo an eerily familiar line from Master Hand:  _ **Lucas is not from your time. Neither of you should have met in the first place.**_

"Maybe it was so traumatic that you forgot everything," I suggest helpfully. "Like, maybe you accidentally stepped into a girls' locker room while they were changing or something-" Lucas visibly flusters, and of course, I laugh at him like the dick I am. "Kidding. Well, if you wanna know, all you have to do to find your cartridge and play it. Problem solved."

"Easier said than done."

"Ask Master Hand," I encourage. "He's got all our games for personal record. I mean, it's not like he'll say  _no_ _."_

What  _seems_  like a troubled look flashes across Lucas's face. "Perhaps," he mumbles, but he doesn't sound convinced. Ha, he's zoning out again. Might as well put a LOST IN THOUGHT sign there. When I realize that I'm still staring at him like a total creep, I quickly turn around and press my lips together, trying not to give into the warm prickling feeling that is threatening to boil into my cheeks.

Lucas still hasn't brought it up, and neither have I. It's as if last night had never happened.

Seventeen hours ago, I kissed my best friend.

Whatever my guilty fantasies were, I didn't intend on going that far. What started off as nothing but a bunch of hot air, a  _Ha, i_ _n your face!_  to prove that I was getting over my feelings had somehow gone horribly, horribly wrong, because in the heat of the moment, my declaration turned into a real challenge, and it suddenly became so important for me  _to_ _win dammit_  and wipe that stupid smirk off of Lucas's face.

And I did. I mentally congratulated myself, pleased by the stunned look on Lucas's face, by the indignant loss dawning in his eyes, and my brain shot a mental fist into the air in celebration like  _hell yeah, that showed him!_

For the longest time, my nerves kept me awake. I stayed up through the night, happily dazed and drunk over Lucas's surprised expression, over the way his cheeks had flushed beautifully, undone by my hands, over the slight hitch in his breath, over how soft his lips had felt pressed against mine, and I'd wanted _so much more._

But when I woke up this morning, all I could remember was the uncomfortable look in Lucas's eyes and how stiff his shoulders had felt under my hands.

Uncertain, I fiddle with the brim of my cap. I didn't jump him. I didn't force myself on him. I asked him once - no,  _twice_  - and while Lucas can be a real pushover to many other people, he never had trouble holding his ground against me. If he didn't wanted to do the bet, then he would've said  _no._  Or he would've shoved me away. Or he would've run away as fast as his lanky legs could carry him in the opposite direction of my lips.

He would've said no. He could've said no.

Shame colors my cheeks. Oh, who was I kidding? I should've backed off. I knew that Lucas had never wanted it, never had and never would've, and still I pushed him until he caved in and said  _yes._  Horrified, I freeze in mid-thought. Is that what happened? Did I guilt-trip him into doing something he didn't want to do? Aargh I fucked up!

"-ook too well."

Wait, is he talking to me? I risk a peek between my fingers and - yeah, he is. Lucas watches me, his own parted fingers frozen towards my face. He withdraws his hand, rubbing it with the other. "Do you have a headache."

"I'm stupid," I say bleakly.

Lucas stifles a smirk behind his hand. "That's news."

Scowling, I punch him hard in the shoulder, and feel no small satisfaction when Lucas betrays a soft  _ow_ and rubs his sore arm. Serves him right.

Lucas props himself back up. "I'm surprised that Master Hand let you leave the mansion without backup."

"Me too."

The lazy mood vanishes as quickly as it arrived. Lucas straightens his back into a tense line. His voice takes on a sharp edge. "You can't be serious."

"About what?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Okay, so I  _did_  leave without telling anyone. Master Hand said you had to be quarantined and I-" When Lucas's hard expression doesn't waver, I ball up my fists. "What was I supposed to do? You were gone for days, and it happened after the night you... in the closet..." My face flushes, but I refuse to back down. "And your dad-"

"You read my mail," Lucas says suddenly.

Busted. I shift my eyes to the side with a nervous laugh. "...maybeee? We didn't open anything. Toon found it open on your desk."

With a low groan, Lucas buries his face in his hands. "Of course, I should've known that you'd go off and do something stupid-"

"Oh, so now  _I'm_  the stupid one."

"I'm serious. You need to return to the mansion before Master Hand finds out-"

"He's not gonna find out!"

"Ness." We're nose-to-nose now. I catch a muscle twitching in Lucas's jaw, and he's speaking each word very slowly as if trying not to lose his cool. "You can't do whatever you want whenever you feel like it."

"Hmm, lemme think." I sit up in my seat. "Oh yeah, wait a fucking minute, I can come visit you because I'm on sick leave!"

"I won't let you risk your job for a stupid excuse-"

"Well, I think you're more important to me than my stupid job!" I yell.

The entire bus falls into an abrupt hush. Mortified, I clam up.

A frustrated expression flickers across Lucas's eyes. He opens his mouth, but I quickly turn away, resisting the urge to punch myself in the face. A few curious onlookers glance in my direction, but hastily avert their eyes when I shoot them down with a glare. Worse still, I can't shake off the horrible feeling of disappointment in Lucas's voice. He makes me feel like a kid. A selfish little kid who couldn't spare the the time to think for two seconds and threw a tantrum whenever he couldn't get what he wanted.

Because Lucas is right. He's right, and I'm wrong. Apparently. Always. Every damn time. Well, not today. I cross my arms. He's wrong. I like brawling. I  _do_  take my job seriously.

My shoulders sag. Just because Lucas never brought his dad up  _didn't_  mean that he was being abused. I completely misread the situation from the very start, and now it looked like I'd recklessly tossed my responsibilities aside to chase after his heart.

Small wonder Lucas was mad at me.

No, not mad.

Upset.

I clench my fists tighter into my lap. Stupid feelings. Stupid, stupid feelings. I hated myself for falling for him. I hated myself for not being able to push him away. Now nothing was the same and everything was awkward because I couldn't stop myself from kissing him last night.

I want to cry.

But I've been crying all week and honestly, crying in front of Lucas again is pretty pathetic, so I suck it up. My name is Mister TOUGH Ness. I'm invincible to heartbreak.

Taking a deep breath, I try to smile. "My bad. Didn't mean to draw attention to us."

Lucas isn't smiling. Pale-faced, he stares fixedly at his hands.

My throat turns dry. "Hey." When he doesn't respond, the smile drops from my face. I reach for his shoulder. "Lucas-"

As if scalded, Lucas jerks himself out of reach. "Don't."

Hurt, I withdraw my hand. "I wasn't going to-"

"Leave me alone, Ness."

He sounds so tired and so  _done with my shit_  that I drop it. Scowling, I turn around so that my back is facing him. For the past week, I spent every waking hour tormenting myself over Lucas's absence. I imagined that Lucas was deathly sick. I imagined that Lucas had gotten himself into serious danger. Now, he's acting all...  _cold_  and  _unfriendly_  whenever I tried to show any sign that I cared about him. Am I not allowed to care about him? Is that it? I'm his best friend. I'm  _supposed_  to care!

I puff up my cheeks. Well, fine. If Lucas wanted to pull the immature card and ignore me, then two could play that game. Stewing in growing resentment, I glower at the rocking floor of the bus.

In the end, my childish resolve fails. Lucas has the eternal patience of a clam.

Me? Not so much. My simmering anger has fizzled off somewhere by the five minute mark. I can't help it. No matter how hard I try, I can't stay mad at him. I just can't. Not when it's my fault for confessing my feelings and making our friendship weird.

Miserably, I lower my eyes. If I'm the kind of person who gets riled up easily, then Lucas is the opposite. I know it takes a lot for him to get upset, and whenever he is, his bad mood hangs over his head like a silent thundercloud.

I try again. This time, I know better than to touch him. "Hey," I say quietly.

"..."

"Okay, I give up. You win."

"..."

"Lucas," I beg. "You were right. I'm sorry. I should've cared about my fucking job and left you alone-"

"That's not..." Resting his head in his hands, Lucas heaves a weary sigh, a slightly breathless one, then slouches over in his seat. "You really are something else."

I stare at him. It starts off small, but then I can't hold back the giggles escaping from my shoulders because this whole fight was so stupid and ABSURD. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I mean."

"I'm a handful," I agree.

"I won't argue with that," Lucas murmurs, dropping his eyes onto the floor. "It scares me how uncannily you resemble my brother."

I perk my head up. "In what way?"

"Well for one, you're obnoxious-"

"Wow, don't I feel special."

"-you're rash and reckless and act before you think-"

I roll my eyes. "Well, don't stop rolling in the praise."

"-but in the end, you mean well." Lucas's eyes flicker to the window. "My brother never lost sight of what was right. Neither do you." A short pause. "I'm not mad, Ness," Lucas says quietly. "I'm worried."

His reassurance, as quiet as it is, quickly dissipates my anxiety. I reach for his hand. This time, Lucas doesn't pull away. "You don't have to worry," I say gently.

"I'm worried about  _you_."

I stifle a snort of laughter into my hand. "Me?"

"Yes, you."

"Says the guy who got beaten up last week."

"You can't dive headfirst into something and always expect it to go all right," Lucas says solemnly, and holy shit, while he's lightened up a little, there's a heavy weight in those words. It rings with a tragedy that makes my heart sink faster than the fucking Titanic.

I don't know what to say. So I sock him in the shoulder. The words come out easier this way. "Yolo," I say just as seriously, acting like this lameass 2012 phrase is actually a pearl stacked with infinite wisdom. But Lucas should get the point.

And get it, he does.

Lucas contemplates this. Then he ducks his head in a quiet laugh. "That's sounds like something my brother would've said."

His twin brother, huh? I kick my legs underneath the crappy bus seat. Considering that Lucas has technically  _bro-zoned_  me, comparing me to his brother is either the highest honor... or the worst insult Lucas could've thrown at me. I decide to take it as the former. "You should ask him over to visit one day."

Resting his head against the window, Lucas closes his eyes with a smile. "One day. When he returns home."

Well, isn't that vague. Lucas said that his brother wasn't home... perhaps he's at some far off boarding school. It surprised me that I've never  _heard_ of his brother until now. Is he dead too? The assumption isn't funny - it's plain  _sad_  - but I laugh quietly to myself from the sheer absurdity of that thought. Dead mom, deadbeat dad... what are the odds? Yeah, that would be seriously fucked up.

Either way... huh. Lucas is far more attached to his brother than he shows. I scoot over, peering up into his face.

Lucas cracks an eye open. "What are you staring at," he deadpans, and thinking of last night, I break into a stupid grin.

"You."

Instantly, Lucas leans away with a fake-disgusted "euurgh." Playing along, I sock him repeatedly in the shoulder until Lucas gives in with a wheeze of laughter, raising his arms in a pathetic attempt to ward me off.

He's too adorable.

Lucas stuffs his hands into his pockets. "Fine, I'll do my best to take care of myself, only if you'll do the same." His voice turns uncertain. "Though on second thought, maybe you should've helped the others find their way back to the Mansion-"

"Oh, they'll be fine," I say peevishly, still annoyed by Popo's snide parting remarks, and Lucas gives another quiet laugh under his breath.

Earlier today, our  _four party troupe_  started prepping for the long subway ride back. With Popo brushing his teeth in the bathroom and Toon adding the final touches to polishing his sword, I glanced at the closed bedroom down the corridor, half-hoping, half-fearing that Lucas would come storming out, rigid and stiff-faced in all his  _six foot twiggy glory_  to beat the everliving crap out of me because I deserved it. Or that Lucas, deeply mortified and flushing down to the back of his skinny arms, would brush past me into the kitchen like I didn't exist and boil his tea kettle into an overboiled mess of steam.

As it turned out, neither of those things happened.

Fifteen minutes later, we crowded around Lucas's bed, stunned by the unexpected turn of events. Lucas hadn't gone out of bed at all.

Or rather, he hadn't because he  _couldn't._

"Dude, did you actually get sick?" Popo exclaimed.

Lucas's fingers curled over his sheets. His voice was barely a hoarse whisper. "I can take care of myself. Go before you miss the train."

I winced, hearing the unpleasant rasp grate against my ears. After Lucas moved the electric heater into the living room for us, it never occurred to me that he'd slept in the cold.

Noble idiot.

With a deep frown, Red rested a hand on Lucas's forehead. He quickly withdrew it with a sharp breath. "Fever."

"Mostly chills," Lucas muttered. He sounded exhausted. "It'll pass. I've got soup in the kitchen, and benadryl in the top cabinet-"

"I think that one of us should stay behind to make sure you get better," Toon worried.

"It might be contagious-"

Popo snorted. "Then it's settled. Ness, you take responsibility."

I snapped my head up. "Why me?"

"Uh, because you're  _psychic?_ " In a  _no, duh_  manner of speaking, Popo wiggled his eyebrows. "What are you waiting for, dude, do your little hocus pocus and sha-baam, Lucas will be fine-"

"I can't," I said irritably. "My healing magic only works for common colds and injuries. It doesn't work for fevers."

Popo nodded sagely. "Ah, no wonder you're still sick. Lovesick-"

Furious, I whirled around and smacked Popo in the arm. We started to squabble loudly, which wasn't doing Lucas any favors, but Red quickly stepped in between us and pulled us apart.

"Behave," Red said like we were a pack of wild Pokemon.

When he deemed the situation to be sufficiently neutralized, Red dropped us onto the ground and turned around, disappearing down the hallway. Shamefaced, I pushed myself back up to my feet, but not before Popo muttered something inappropriate under his breath that made my face light up like a firecracker.

Tugging the brim of my cap over my furiously blushing face, I tried not to look Lucas in the eye. "My home's here in Onett. I'll stay behind."

Lucas blearily rubbed his eyes. "You don't have to-"

"It's my fault we kept you up last night," I said stubbornly.

"You didn't keep me up-"

I flicked him in the forehead. "Uh-huh. Shut up and sleep."

Red materialized on the threshold with a glass of water and a plastic container. He must have picked up the cold medicine from the kitchen.

"Thanks," Lucas said wearily. "Don't miss the subway."

Red nodded.

"Remember, kids, always wear protection!" Popo announced, placing his hands on his hips, and it was all I could do not to strangle him for the second time in the past twenty four hours.

As if sensing my murderous mood, Toon yelped, pushing Popo out the door. "W-We're heading out! Lucas, get better!"

Lucas's quiet response floated after us.

I teleported the rest of my friends out to the station. The entire time, Popo kept  _oohing_ and  _aahing,_  wiggling his eyebrows and cracking stupid jokes about practicing safe sex. At first, he seemed like he'd known more than he let on, but I quickly realized that Popo was just being Popo.

Tired of his lewd comments,  _both_  Red and Toon finally whirled around and slapped Popo in the back, forcing him to stagger forward into the parking lot. Then with the air of taking trash out, the two of them clamped a hand around each of his shoulders and marched Popo off like the British Royal Brigade. Listening to Popo's traumatized wails fade into the distance, I'd cheerfully waved them  _Sayonara_  and teleported back to the apartment.

Lucas hadn't died in the short time I'd left him behind, thank god. My worries assuaged, I was left shuffling awkwardly in place, and after some serious internal debate, slowly sat back down.

It was just the two of us. Alone.

This was officially the worst day of my life.

The bus dips into a pothole, roughly jostling my elbow right into Lucas's stomach. After an episode of me wildly panicking over his doubled-over form, and Lucas repeatedly reassuring me that the blow hadn't killed him, any residual awkwardness is thankfully averted when Lucas jerks his head down into a quiet sneeze.

Ah, bless him.

I tell him such.

"Thanks," Lucas croaks. His eyes are glazed and out-of-focus. Damn, forget chills, Lucas looks downright miserable.

"Why didn't you take the heater back this morning?" I say furiously, even though I already know the answer. I'm only venting at this point. "See, this is the kind of shit that happens when you wander around late at night. You don't wrap up warm, it gets cold, and you get sick-"

"I don't wander around at night," Lucas protests, stifling another sniffle. "I missed the bus from Twoson and had to walk back-"

I jerked my head back in surprise.  _"Twoson?_  What were you doing in Twoson?"

"I wanted to spend some time away from home."

Understandable. I know that feeling all too well.

Watching the trees blur past, I rest my head against the cracked, spongy seat.

Lucas slowly dips his head. His breathing sounds low and ragged. "Your mom's worried sick about you."

"I'll call her later-"

"You're in town. You should go see her as soon as you can."

"I will. I mean, I'm not going to stay at your place overnight!" I say, pretending to sound offended. "What do you take me for, a freeloader?"

"Glad to see that we're on the same page," he agrees.

I flick him in the forehead. "You're the worst."

"Right back at you."

Hmm. Not a bad comeback. I silently tuck the phrase into mind for future reference.

Lucas's frown deepens. No shit, he's picked up on my sudden disquiet. "Why are you avoiding her."

"I'm not avoiding her," I say feebly, but when Lucas shoots me a flat look, I wince, involuntarily betraying myself. Damn it, he keeps seeing through me.

My shoulders sag over. "Okay, I miss my mom, but I'm afraid of going back," I admit, fiddling with the brim of my cap. All of a sudden, my skin feels cold and clammy. "The last time I went home... was the last time I saw my dad."

Lucas's expression turns serious. "Your mom needs you as much as you need her," he says, I'm taken aback by the firm conviction in his voice.

"All right, I'll go home as soon as we land," I mutter. When Lucas gives a low hum of agreement, my eyes flicker to his, and it's all I can do not to think  _hey I kissed this stupid face last night_. Then it dawns on me that I really  _did_  kiss him, and my mouth falls open on its own accord like a gaping fish.

Lucas uncomfortably shifts in his seat. Crap, no doubt he's starting to feel the awkward wall between us. I have to get rid of it  _fast._  This is a feat that calls for subtlety. I bite the inside of my cheek. Yeah, sure. I can pull off subtle.

"I'm sorry I kissed you," I blurt out.

Whelp, there went subtle. Right out the window.

Lucas's face turns a fierce shade of scarlet. He's suddenly not looking my way, and his Adam's apple dips as he swallows. "It was a dare, Ness. You don't have to apologize."

I manage to find my voice. "Right," I say, nodding furiously. "It was a dare. Between friends."

_**"Lucas is aware of your feelings for him. He will not encourage them, and you will do the same. If necessary, I will separate you into different rooms. And if worst comes to worst, I will take disciplinary measures... Measures you won't be happy for me to take. Do you understand?"** _

It's for the best.

Unable to look him in the face, my eyes glue themselves to my shoes. "So... it took me a while, but I sorted everything out last night." I take a deep breath and quickly spew it out. " _Idon'tactuallylikeyou!_  Well, I mean... I think I really liked you a lot as a friend and got confused-" I feel my own cheeks turn hot like a furnace. Okay, this is getting way too cheesy and OoC for my taste. I force a grin and sock him in the shoulder. "Ha. Haha, got you! April fools!"

"It's early November."

"Same difference," I say cheerfully, clapping a hand on his shoulder and forcing myself to ignore the painful pang in my chest. "Like I said, I was kidding, Lucas, so stop taking everything I say so seriously."

A hint of a frown creases Lucas's forehead.

He isn't fooled.

I drop the smile. "No, seriously," I mumble, playing with my fingers. "I  _do_  like you, but I realized it wasn't... it wasn't in that way. I got homesick, and you're from Onett too, so I - Lucas, you  _know_  how I get when I get homesick. _"_  Still feeling his eyes X-ray me, I bury my furiously blushing face into my hands.  _"Please,_  Lucas," I beg, squirming in the spot. "If you have even the smallest shred of mercy inside that cold heart of yours, swear to Mount Everest that you'll never bring this back up again. _"_

Lucas breaks into that stupid smirk of his. "Oh, I don't know, Ness. I like you a lot too-"

Dying of mortification, I lightly punch him in the stomach.  _"Shut upppp,"_ I wail.

Lucas relaxes back into his seat with a warm smile. His feverish eyes flicker over the ceiling of the bus. "Then we can forget about last night. It never happened."

But it  _did_  happen. I tasted him on my lips. I skimmed my fingers across the back of his head, untangled the knots in the golden strands of his hair. Suddenly, the ache in my chest doubles, and I have to resist the urge to press my hands against my ribs because it  _really_  feels as if my heart is painfully pounding its way out of my chest. I open my mouth, but don't know what to say. What can I say? That I liked kissing him? That I still wasn't over him yet? That I wanted to forget about the way his eyes would magically draw mine in for a smile, but didn't know how?

Lucas's  _like_  and my  _like_  are two very different likes. Lucas never had real friends before. Hell, what he thought was a crush had probably been some sort of lingering attachment. He'd even said it himself.  _Puppy love. Nothing serious._

_**"I think I had a crush once, but it's not exactly the same thing."** _

It makes sense. I'm the first friend he's ever had. Of course he's attached to me. It's like the chicken-and-egg thing - you know, where the baby chick follows the first moving thing it sees and calls it friend... Imprinting. Yeah, that!

I scrunch up my eyes. I didn't love him. I didn't love him.  _I didn't love him._  Maybe if I keep repeating it enough times in my head, it'll become the truth. I'll get over my stupid crush, everything will turn back to normal, and Lucas will stop looking at me with that carefully guarded look in his eyes. I've known him long enough to know that the blank look on his face was a defensive mask, a shield Lucas hid behind whenever he felt unsettled.

I want him to be happy. Even if it means swallowing down my feelings for him.

Lucas is my friend. That has always come first, and that would never change.

The bus lurches again. I tug the brim of my hat over my face. It's a good thing that Lucas is sick, because on any other day, he would've noticed that I'd lied to his face.

Sliding on our bags, we step out at the local bakery. The bus rattles away in a puff of smoke, and I lift my head, inhaling the buttery smell of fresh croissants. I excitedly point out the fat fruit tarts glistening proudly in the front display of  _Paris Baguette_ , and we stand, admiring the bakery. I declare how their new choux cream bites are the  _bomb_ , but Lucas is quick to disagree, pointing out that their traditional nut bread is better. We end up bickering all the way to the end of the block.

I successfully mess up his hair once more for good measure before fondly shoving him forward. "You're sick. Go sleep it off."

"I will." Lucas's eyes have yet to leave my face, and intimidated by his X-ray scrutiny, I swallow hard and resist the urge to duck my head. Bracing myself with a deep breath, I square my shoulders and look him straight in the eye. Challenging him, challenging myself. I have to prove it. I didn't love him, I didn't love him, I didn't, didn't, didn't-

Shifting his eyes to the sky, Lucas breaks into a small smile. "It's snowing."

The sudden break in silence throws me off. "Uhduhuh," I sputter. Horrified, I cover my mortified face with the brim of my cap. Ahhhh, shit! Fuck! What is wrong with me?

Something cold touches my nose. Momentarily distracted from my embarrassment, I perk my head up in excitement. Snow! In a sudden bout of childishness, I whirl around, extend my arms in a circle, and open my mouth. A snowflake melts on my tongue.

I probably look like an idiot, hopping around and sticking my tongue out into open air, but Lucas giving into choked laughter makes everything so much more worth it. I grin wider. It's been a while since I've seen Lucas smile so much in one day, and his happiness is infectious.

"Joo shoo faste uhn doo," I say.

"You look stupid," he says back.

I punch him in the shoulder.

"In a good way," he corrects himself.

I punch him in the shoulder again.

Lucas groans and rubs his right arm. "I swear, this is child abuse."

"Fine." I stagger over and punch his other shoulder. "Better?"

"I think you killed both of my arms."

Grinning like a fool, I hitch up my backpack. "Well, I'm heading home. See ya, Casanova."

Suddenly, I catch the sound of crunching snow from _behind,_  forcing me to do a complete one-eighty. Coming to a full stop himself, Lucas uncomfortably hunches his shoulders over the snow, and I raise an eyebrow in question. Strange. It isn't like him  _not_  to get the hint.

"Uh, hey. Isn't your apartment the other way?" I press. When Lucas shrugs, averting his eyes (a dead giveaway meaning, uh, I don't know...  _YES?),_  I can't help but crack a small smile. Even while sick, Lucas is worried about me getting mugged in the streets at night. Though nothing here can stand a match against me. Worry wart.

Or maybe he's scared of walking home alone.

I break into a wider grin. "Want me to walk you home?" I ask, half-joking, half-serious.

That snaps him out of his stupor.

Slowly, Lucas turns to face me. His silhouette shifts against the starry horizon, and I catch the contours of his skinny shoulders against the dying city lights. Half-melted snow glitters on his hair like a crown. The tip of his nose glows red from the cold.

"I'm fine, thanks." Lucas's voice is soft. Impossibly soft and sincere with an underlying hint of something else. His eyes shift to my face. "I knew you could get over it. I'm..." Lucas pauses, visibly struggling for the right thing to say, and in a way, his awkwardness is endearing. "I'm glad."

My chest tightens. "Me too."

Relaxing, Lucas dips his head. A puff of white escapes from his mouth into the cold air. Cracking a small smile himself, Lucas shuffles in place, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "You... take care." With a strange sort of shyness, Lucas raises his fingers towards my face. Too high for a fist bump, too low for a high five. I raise my eyebrows, confused at what the heck he's trying to do when his hand lightly brushes against the top of my head and ruffles my hair.

This. Little. Fucker! I can't believe he's rubbing his height into my face  _now_  of all times! Puffing my cheeks up in indignation, I try to shove his hand off my head. "Hey,  _hey,_  watch it. Only I get to do that."

He arches an eyebrow. "Really now."

"Cause I'm older than you. I turn  _eighteen_  in August. You turn  _seventeen_  in May." I proudly stick my chest out. "Respect your elders."

Lucas does that quiet chuckle under his breath, then lifts his hand off my head. "Point taken. Catch you later, Old Man."

I feebly sputter for a suitable comeback, but the words clog up my throat. With a last smirk, Lucas waves me off and saunters out of sight, his shoulders hunched over in an idiosyncratic slouch.

I didn't love him. I didn't love him!

I stand in the snow until my face turns numb.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

After that, I like to have said that I spent a good thirty minutes walking through the landscape of my childhood and thoughtfully reminiscing on nostalgic memories, et cetera, et cetera, but really, I was a lazy ass and teleported home.

The short trip was well worth it. When I burst onto the front porch, dripping ash all over the  _Welcome_  mat, my mom hurries over in a heartbeat. She's gotten so used to my shenanigans that nothing fazes her now. Like,  _oh, hey look, there's Ness! He's teleporting out of thin air. Typical Tuesday Night._

Mom nearly crushes me in her iron hold.

"Oh, my baby," she whispers, squeezing me tight, and just like that, my worries melt away. Like I'm five again and tripped over the playground slide, with my mom placing a band-aid on my knees and saying  _shh sweetie_ _everything's gonna be okay_  and I believed her.

My mother is a beautiful woman, inside and out. I wish I inherited her blond hair and kind blue eyes, but somewhere during the baby-making process, my DNA went  _Fuck it_  and gave me all of my dad's genes. Messy black hair, check. Broad shoulders, double check. I inherited everything from my dad, from his mischievous, crooked smile right down to the weird violet eyes that gleam scarlet if I angle my head the right way against the sun. No matter where I go, I'm a walking reminder of my deadbeat dad.

After my mom fusses over me and ushers me to the table to eat, a familiar whine echoes down the stairs. "Mom, can I go watch  _Moana_  tonight? _"_

Mom doesn't even bat an eye at the interruption. "Tracy, what did I say about going out on school nights?"

"Pleaaaase? All my friends are going to watch the midnight premiere-"

Mom slaps the towel onto the dishwasher holder. "It's too late out for a thirteen-year-old to wander off alone."

"I won't be alone. I'll be with my friends. Mary Jane said that her mom was going to drop us off-"

"It's too late out."

"That's the point of a midnight premiere!"

Mom purses her lips. I recognize the look. It's the  _Young lady, I do not approve_  look. "Tracy."

Tracy's arrival is signaled by the rising fanfare of her voice and the staccato of her feet. I can tell that she's annoyed from the way her feet slaps down the stairs. "Mom, please? The theater's literally ten minutes away by car-" Catching sight of me, Tracy skids to a halt. Her jaw drops.  _"Ness?"_

"Hey, little sis," I say, cracking a grin.

There really is no place like home.

As if she's forgotten completely about the fact that "everyone in the whole wide world is going to see _Moana,"_  my little sister flounces over. I wonder how Tracy is able to avoid bumping into walls with the almost  _anti-gravity_ way she skips around. Impressive, really, considering that she isn't a psychic.

"Shut. Up. You never said that you were coming home!" Tracy says excitedly. She too, like my mother, is a classic blonde with blue eyes.

I sheepishly scratch the back of my neck. "It's a long story, but I'm here on business."

Tracy rolls her eyes. "Right, I forgot. Apparently you're too famous to talk to me-"

I stick my tongue out. "Don't insult the celebrity."

"Careful, your gay is coming out," Tracy smirks, crossing her arms.

Mom slams the faucet off. "Tracy, apologize," she says suddenly.

"It's true, mom-"

"True or not, you will not disrespect your brother under this roof."

Tracy sulks. "Sorry."

My cheeks burns. "Mom, it's okay. I don't mind talking about it-"

"Of course, you don't," Mom says absentmindedly, turning around to close the dishwasher. Something beeps down the corridor - the old laundry machine. The refreshing scent of fresh clothes wafts into the kitchen like a summer breeze. Without a minute to waste, Mom bustles past us, only pausing to ruffle my hair and kiss me on the forehead. "Stay home for as long as you want," she says warmly, then hurries out of the kitchen with her hands full of detergent.

Tracy plops down beside me at the table, her long blonde pigtails swaying after her like two tug-of-war ropes. Her eyes trail after the swinging kitchen door. "Mom was pretty shocked when you came out," she says quietly.

My stomach drops. I lower my spoon. "In a good way, or a bad way?" I say, taking this as the cue to quiet down as well.

"I don't know. She's never had anything against LGBT rights... but she never expected you to be part of it either." Catching the look on my face, Tracy quickly adds, "I wouldn't worry! She's coming around. Give her time." Her eyes suddenly turn fierce. "But  _I_  don't care that you're gay."

"I think I'm actually bi, but thanks, Trace," I say softly.

Tracy's eyes light up. "Does this mean that we can check out guys together?"

I accidentally laugh, snorting milk up my nose, and with a disgusted exclamation, Tracy leaps away from the table. "Ew, that's gross!"

I scrunch up my nose. "You're gross," I say, but muffled through a wad of napkins it sounds more like  _Nyour gwoss._

"You're grosser."

"Little Miss Grossenstein."

Tracy goes in for the kill. "Mom, Ness called me a  _Little_ _Miss Grossenstein,"_  she wails.

"Did not-"

"Did too!"

Of course, Mom returns to the kitchen and starts chewing Tracy out for disturbing the neighbors so late at night, and I take no small satisfaction in Tracy's childish pout, because younger siblings  _always_  win. It looks like Mom has taken my side today because I just arrived home. My smile widens, and when Mom isn't looking, Tracy turns her nose up, pokes me in the ribs, and skips away.

Little sisters, amiright?

Then Mom takes a seat across from me, and all of a sudden, the tension hits me like a ten ton truck. My heart constricts, as if a clamp has closed around my chest.

She starts off with small talk. Mostly, it's about Smash.  _Do I have a lot of work, is the fighting too intense, is the food okay._  Somewhere, she tosses  _college_ into the mix.

"Brawling is a tough life," she says softly. "I hear that Smash City has a good university."

"I've heard about it from the guys. I think Link's a third year now," I respond vaguely, but my mind is too distracted by my mom's five-star cooking, because her grilled steak and potatoes are the bomb. "But I know that Paula's applying for the merit scholarship this year-"

"The full-tuition merit scholarship?"

"Yeah, it's offered to the top ten entrance exam scorers. Paula's definitely getting it. She's smart-"

"You scored good marks on your GED."

I internally groan. I know  _exactly_  where this conversation is headed. See, my mom thinks that I'm a smart cookie. Admittedly I'm not rock-dumb, but I'm no Dexter or Mandark. I don't have the book-smarts. I can't sit still in a classroom all day without feeling like my soul is being sucked out of my brain.

"Mom, I don't want to go to college," I whine piteously.

Still my mom is stubborn. "If you ever decide to change your mind about your future career, you should take their entrance exam in April."

I shift in place. "I'll think about it," I promise, but I have no intention of applying, much less of taking another standardized test.

Because I'm seventeen and underage, any pay I earn from Smash Mansion goes straight to my legal guardian - aka my mom. But she's had the good sense to invest the money into my personal bank account. The little she  _does_ keep aside is geared towards college funds.

 _Just in case_ , she says.

But I couldn't help but wonder what my mom  _actually_  thought of me. I was her oldest son, but there wasn't much going for me. I'm no all-star valedictorian like Tracy. I'm a Smasher, but not a super famous one at that. A mediocre brawler, at best. Middle school dropout. One hella sexually-confused kid who saved humanity from the alien overlord Giygas.

My mom sounded so supportive over the phone...

But was she all right with me not being straight?

Was she really?

Something about her hypocrisy makes me feel lightheaded. I push my dinner aside. As if recognizing my discomfort, mom falls back. Her eyes take on a sad glimmer that is all too familiar.

I know that look.

It's the look mom wore when dad left her for somebody else.

Gently, my mom rests her hand over mine. "Honey-"

I suddenly stand up, pulling my hand back. The lump in my throat refuses to go down. "I'm going to bed," I manage to say, my voice trembling.

My mom only watches me with that sad look on her face.

Blinking back the stinging sensation from my eyes, I push my chair in and sprint up the stairs to my room.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After scrapping the original story as a crack!fic, I guess you could say that I'm aiming to write a realistic relationship. It's a tall hurdle I'm setting for myself. Failing that, and oh well *le shrug* hey, more writing practice.
> 
> As of now, Ness's feelings seem terribly one-sided, but this is still a [Lucas, Ness] fic. Neither is mentally prepared for a relationship at this point. Them boys got some character development to undergo first!
> 
> In this fic, Lucas's birthday is May 22 and Ness's is August 1. Lucas is a Gemini. Ness is a Leo.
> 
> [9/9/18]: Lucas enjoying video games is also plays a homage to the arcade scene in Mother 3.
> 
> A glimpse of some major future events to raise hype (not necessarily in chronological order): Sellout of Ness amiibos, college entrance exams, fancy smancy dinner party, Museums, Children's Day Festival, Villain Amnesty Act, body swapping (non-accidental), and Marth the Amazing Senpai. Take what you make of it!


	14. When Victory Tastes Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two dorks have a crepe eating contest.

_**~Prologue~** _

It all happened in a split second. In front of me, my mom stands, her feet planted into the ground, her eyes blazing, her arms outstretched against something I can't see. I run to her side, but with a frantic rush of incoherent words, Claus clumsily fumbles for my arm and drags me away.

A flash of green blinds my eyes. A resounding roar rings in my ears. A woman's bloodcurdling scream tears through the night.

My mother is gone.

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter Fourteen**_ ~

_**When Victory Tastes Sweet** _

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The early morning sun peeks over the horizon. The sound of birdsong tentatively peeps into the air, and a low, shivering gong fills the Buddhist temple with life.

Bright yellow petals adorn her smiling portrait.

**Hinawa.**

Laying the sunflowers on the golden metallic shrine, I push myself back onto my numb knees. I can't remember why, but after the fatal car accident on New Years Eve, no one retrieved my mother's body for a proper cremation.

That didn't stop my father from changing the flowers at her makeshift grave. Daily.

As soon as I returned home last night with groceries, Dad clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder and stopped me in place.

"It's been a while. Go visit your mother," he said gruffly.

The smoky essence of scented candles gently tickles my nose. A stray whisper of wind swirls through the marble clearing, dancing around the jars of the cremated with a soft sigh. My thoughts linger towards the fate of my runaway brother.  _Dead,_  Master Hand implied.  _Dead,_  like my mother -  _dead_  without a body to bury.

No, Claus promised me he'll return. He's alive. He  _has_  to be alive.

I close my eyes and try not to think.

As they always do, things returned to their normal pace. My fever passed. Dad slowly recovered from his pneumonia. The bank mailed over a new credit card, and the phone company promised to reimburse my lost phone.

Then there was Ness.

His daily visits were expected, but unexpected. Skipping over at random times to slamdunk servings of his mom's soup onto my kitchen counter, Ness was a welcome reprieve to my monotonous routine, but aside from a cheery word or two, he left as quickly as he arrived. I didn't question it. It had been a long while since Ness had gone home - a long while according to his standards. He most likely wanted time to catch up with his own family.

As I'd correctly predicted, Ness's "crush" was only a fleeting phase. He'd finally sorted out his feelings. The revelation should've left me glad and relieved, but all I felt instead was empty.

I'm not quite sure why.

So I start running again - partly because the Winter Championships is rearing its ugly head around the corner, and partly because I want to keep my mind off of things. Something. Someone. My lungs burn. One foot after another. Panting as the cold early morning air sears my throat raw, I double over on my burning thighs.

Ness can afford to make mistakes. He's a member of the Original Twelve. He's only known a life around people who love him, around people who care and support and back his every move on the playing field. Naive and trusting, Ness has had everything planned out for him from the minute he became the Chosen Boy on his quest.

I don't have that luxury. My family is in debt. When we first moved to Onett with nothing but the dirt on our hands and the clothes on our back, my dad initially had trouble finding work. Even after he found a steady income, our staggering debt remained. Interest rates skyrocketed. Bills stacked up over time. Money is money, and the price has to be paid.

I'm doing the right thing. Ness doesn't understand. His reputation is at stake. I'm trying to save both of our careers from the chopping block.

But somehow, with a single sentence, Ness had soundly put me to shame.

_**"Well, I think you're more important to me than my stupid job!"** _

I dig my nails into my skin. I needed the money. I  _needed_  this job. And because of Ness's declaration of love, my job as a Smasher is on the line - a job that Master Hand can snatch away in an instant and replace with a pink slip. Yet I find that I  _can't_  bring myself to get mad at Ness, because he didn't mean to screw us over. Beneath his huge pride, Ness means well. He doesn't admit it, and most likely won't ever admit it, but often times, it's no surprise when he ends up placing my well-being before his own. His carelessness is troublesome, but my own indecision even more so.

I don't know what I want.

I take in a shaky breath. It's all my fault. I never should've let Ness kiss me, because now  _I_  feel confused and strange and awkward and not myself. My pale reflection glances back at me from the bakery windows. This scared person isn't me. This scared person can't be me.

And it isn't because I find myself thinking about how Ness would snort on his popcorn during a rom-com. Or how he would sock me in the shoulder with a lopsided grin on his face. Or how he would scrunch up his face and cry like a baby when he was sad. Or how he'd get embarrassed for  _going soft_  and vehemently deny it to the ends of the earth until his face turned red.

Ness is my best friend. Ness is just my best friend.

I kick into a vicious sprint.

It isn't until three days after the supermarket trip when I finally spot Ness again. He's crouching off the edge of the icy boardwalk, his sweaty hair sticking to his forehead, and in one fluid motion, he snaps out his legs like a spring. I watch him go soaring and spinning like a corkscrew before his fingers nab his skateboard in midair. With the impossible ease of a parkour artist, he twists around and lands lightly back on his feet.

Something about the way Ness takes off is breathtaking. It reminds me why he was elected one of the Chosen Twelve.

Even though he sure doesn't act like it.

Spotting me, Ness's eyes brighten up in recognition. "Lucas!" he yells, waving his arms like a toddler on a kiddy slide.

I throw a snowball at his face.

Headshot!

Giving a screech worthy of a flustered chicken, Ness topples backwards and falls flat on his rear. When he wildly whirls around, face pale in shock and hair matted with snow, I helplessly clutch my ribs and break into a laugh.

Not a minute later, a scowling Ness wrestles me down into a headlock and dumps a whole sheet of snow down my shirt.

I recoil violently. "C-Cold!" I say, my teeth chattering.

"That's for ambushing me," Ness says, panting and bent double. He extends an arm and helps me back onto my feet. "Huh, you're out early. Are you running laps around the neighborhood?"

"I'm timing myself."

"And...?"

"I got slower," I groan, patting the snow off my damp clothes. "I'm so out of shape-"

Ness looks at me incredulously. "Are you freakin' serious? Have you  _seen_  me?!  _I'm_  the one out of shape. Like, look at me-" He gestures to his stomach. "I'm a fatass."

I snort. "Ness, stop."

"No, you stop. You don't understand the short people struggle," Ness moans and buries his face back into the snow, muffling his voice. "I'm so faaaat."

I enviously glance at his well-toned calves. No matter how hard I trained, I could never gain muscle mass as easily as Ness could. Maybe I shouldn't have taken the past three days off.

"I ate an entire pizza last friday," Ness continues miserably. "And a tub of icecream. And a whole bag of cheetos. All in two hours."

"Good grief."

"I know. I wanted to throw up."

Shaking my head, I check my one-dollar watch. Its hands point at six O' clock. Perfect timing. Most of Onett starts stirring around seven. We can easily avoid unwanted eyes and return home with enough time to spare.

"I'm thinking about getting something to eat," I begin. "The bakery should be open for breakfast-"

At the word  _breakfast,_ Ness's eyes light up like a kid's on Christmas Day.  _"FOOD!_ " he screams before shoving me aside and sprinting away like a five-year-old hyped up on sugar.

The race is hardly fair. When I skid in front of  _Crepe King_  a horrible sweaty mess, gasping and clutching the stitches at my side, Ness lifts his head and shoots me such a smug look that I have to resist the urge to knock it off his face. Stupid, smol ball of energy.

"I win," he crows, proudly puffing up his chest like a rooster.

Still wheezing over my knees, I'm too busy trying to catch my breath to give a proper retort. "You... had a fucking... skateboard..."

Ness watches me expectantly as if waiting for me to award him the  _Medal of Valor._  When I refuse to give him what he deigns a satisfying reaction of one who has lost, he struts over like an overly-proud peacock. "Praise me!" he chirps.

"For what?"

"For winning!"

I push his sweaty head away. "No."

Ness isn't to be deterred. He fists my shirt. "I won fair and square," he insists. "I'm awesome! Praise me!"

"I can't believe you're older than me," I deadpan, extricating my shirt out of his grip.

Shoulders slumping into a sulk, Ness trudges into the bakery. "One day, I'll make you admit how amazing I am."

"Good luck with that."

" _Good luck with that_ _,_ " Ness mimics in a poor imitation of my voice, and when I shoot him a pointed look, he gives an undignified squeak and backpedals away. Within seconds, he peeps back around the condiment counter. "I'm paying," he declares firmly, drawing himself back up. His eyes flicker to mine as if daring me to argue, but when I don't, he socks me goodnaturedly in the shoulder and leaps over the counter with a wild whoop.

Watching the bill of his cap bob amidst the empty store, I absentmindedly rub my sore arm. I don't know how Ness does it. He makes touching look so easy, so natural. Hugging me. Ruffling my hair. Socking me in the shoulder. Friendly gestures. Encouraging gestures.

My stomach does a weird back-flip.

Embarrassed, I duck my head. It's not fair that I  _still_  feel so flustered and awkward and weird when Ness is acting so scarily normal and on-point to his character. Ness skips back over, and I vaguely take in whatever excited chatter he's spewing out now. Something about hotdogs. I think.

I steel my nerves. It's hypocritical of me to expect Ness to play his part alone when we're stuck in this together. This means that I have to stop avoiding him like the plague and reassure him that we're still friends... somehow.

It's what friends do.

It's what best friends do.

Swallowing down my trepidation, I slowly reach for the top of his head.

Then Ness turns around, and I quickly withdraw my hand, pretending to reach for the napkin dispenser at his side. Happily oblivious to my awkward attempts to socialize, Ness beams widely, one generously chocolate-drizzled, fruit-topped crepe in each hand.

"This one's for you," he announces, shoving it into my agape hands. "Cause you lost."

"I'm touched."

Ness's eyes light up with the competitive spark I know all too well. "I know! Let's see who can eat the fastest!"

I give a long-suffering groan. "But I want to enjoy my crepe-"

"Three, two-"

"If anyone asks, I don't know you-"

"-one!" With a loud  _omnomnom,_  Ness crams his entire crepe into his mouth - a feat that makes me cringe in disgust - and with his cheeks bulging with food like a hamster, swallows it all down in one go. Messily wiping the chocolate syrup off his mouth, Ness checks his watch. "Ten aaand a half seconds. Okay, your turn!"

"I forfeit."

Ness pokes me in the shoulder with the tip of his skateboard. "Lucas-" he whines.

"This is dumb," I say plainly.

Ness puffs his cheeks up like a hamster.  _"You're_  dumb."

"That's a weak comeback, even for you, Ness."

"Just once, please?" he begs, tagging along my heels. "For me?"

I roll my eyes. "Then that's a definite no."

The fire dies from his eyes. Ness's shoulders slump over into a sulk. "You never do anything fun."

Is he trying to guilt-trip me? I raise an eyebrow. Clever tactic, but it's not going to work. Dessert wins over friendship, hands down. When Ness stays miserably quiet, I spare him a tentative side-glance.

Ness is  _still_  sulking.

It's in that moment of clarity that I come to my senses and recognize the precious, everlasting value of friendship. And deep, deep down in my heart of hearts, I know exactly what I have to do.

I unwrap the foil around my crepe. "Start the timer."

In total disbelief, Ness snaps his head up. "For real?!"

"For real."

As if he had never been depressed, Ness shoots up and excitedly scrambles for his own watch. "Okay, okay," he says, setting the timer, then expectantly glances up at me. "Ready... set..." He slams the button. "Go!"

Breaking into a slow smirk, I take a bite of my crepe... as _leisurely_  as I can.

Within the blink of an eye, Ness's expression changes from puppydog excitement to the unadulterated fury of one who has been soundly duped. "You're not even  _trying,"_  he hisses.

"I'm trying." Dramatically raising a finger, I pause. And swallow. "Trying to take my sweet time."

"Lazy ass," he mutters under his breath.

"I like chocolate," I say innocently. I chew a mouthful of crepe, savoring the sweet, sweet taste of victory and enjoying the indignant scowl on Ness's face too much for my own good before taking another infuriatingly slow bite. "Mmm. This crepe is DELICIOUS. Too bad you ate all of yours."

Ness storms out of the bakery. "You're a horrible human being. I hope you choke."

"Why, thank you," I say cheerfully, and Ness whirls around to sock me in the shoulder...

But not before I grab hold of his head and roughly ruffle his hair.

 _Triggered._  Clapping a hand over the laugh that threatens to escape from my mouth, I push myself out of the bakery and sprint away for dear life as Ness quickly takes chase, hollering angry expletives in my direction.

Yes, life is good again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anyone screams CONTINUITY ERROR, don't worry. We'll get more details about Hinawa's death soon. Or at least, what Lucas remembers of it. And we'll get around to Master Hand's - and Crazy Hand's haha! - reaction to Ness leaving the mansion. Ness isn't getting off scot-free fo sho.
> 
> For plot purposes (shhh), I watched a Game-grumps playthrough of Sonic: Rise of Lyric, and I have to say, Eggman is a riot.
> 
> Thanks for the kudos. Each of them is well appreciated. This goes without saying, but remember to be courteous and refrain from flaming other authors in the review section. Happy reading! :)


	15. The Birds and the Bees, Mostly the Bees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A homesick boy reunites with his worried mom.

[prologue]

* * *

 

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~ _ **Chapter Fifteen**_ ~

_**The Birds and the Bees, Mostly the Bees** _

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* * *

In hindsight, playing tag in broad daylight wasn't a good idea.

It's a no brainer, really, that the paparazzi were roaming around Onett. Fucking hell, an entire horde of them had been marching around, clamoring and yelling our names, and if it hadn't been for Lucas's telepathic senses screaming PEOPLE ALERT, we would've been caught up in the sea of cameras and mikes. We hastily had to take refuge, ducking into an abandoned alleyway by the pizza store for a handful of minutes before we decided to book it.

And by  _book it,_  I meant  _teleport back home._

My home.

I sneak a glance at the still statue beside me. Whatever playfulness Lucas expressed earlier is gone. His eyes are a fraction too wide, his face drained of all color, his cold fingers slightly shaky in mine. I quickly let go of Lucas's hand. Shit, fuck. I've forgotten how much Lucas  _hates_  the paparazzi. It reminds me of how much hot water we're still in. If the paparazzi had snapped even  _one_  photo of us fooling around and taken it out of context...

My stomach drops.

Seriously, goddamn nosy assholes. I just want five fucking minutes to hang out with my best mate. FIVE. Is that too much to ask for?

I grab one of Lucas's cold, limp hands. "Follow me," I say, dragging him towards the front porch.

Lucas doesn't resist. He stumbles behind me like a zombie sleep walker, frozen and unaware of what the hell is going on. He must still be shell-shocked. When I haul him up the wooden porch and fumble for my keys, the door swings open to reveal my little sister.

"Good morning, asshat. I thought I heard you at the door," Tracy yawns in her pink bunny jammies and messy long pigtails. Oh, right, I've forgotten that she's home. Something about a school holiday, or some-really-old-historical-dude's birthday today.

Scowling, I brush past her. "Where's mom?"

"Still sleeping. Why?"

I kick my Nikes off and stuff them into the shoe cabinet. "Don't tell her I'm awake."

Skipping after me, Tracy breaks into a stupid smirk. "Why? _"_  she chirps in her annoying  _sing-song_  voice.

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I said so, you twat." I hurriedly push her back. "Stay inside. The paparazzi are after me."

"Again?" she whines. "Ugh, what did you do now? Make another public demonstration on gay rights?" When I don't answer, Tracy stomps her foot like a child depraved of ice cream. "Ness? Ness, stop ignoring me-" Tracy finally catches sight of the person behind me, and her eyes turn round. "L-Lucas?"

"Hi, Tracy," Lucas says quietly. Even while slouching, he towers over her by a good foot.

Staring up at him like he's popped out of thin air, Tracy raises a trembling hand. "H-Hi?" she squeaks. "Ngh... How's... how are you doing?"

AhH, I don't have time for this! I impatiently shove my sister up the stairs. "Lucas doesn't need to hear about your lowkey crush on him too, so shut up and go back to sleep."

Tracy's face flushes beet red.  _"What?_  I'm not crushing on him, stupid! He's like, a totally better brother than you are- Wait..." She goes wide-eyed, turning to Lucas with an incredulous look on her face. "Are you two-"

"Leave us alone, dirtbag," I snap.

Displeased, Tracy turns her nose up with a disdainful sniff. "I'm telling mom," she says, even though I know she won't, and flounces up the stairs. As soon as she disappears into her room, pigtails and all, Lucas's shoulders visibly relax. The click of her bedroom door echoes throughout the house.

Breathing deeply, I pinch the bridge of my nose. I'm definitely going to hear an earful from her later. "Little sisters are  _such_  a pain." Then I throw a glare at the oblivious idiot beside me. "See, this is why you need to stop looking so attractive."

Lucas shoots me a skeptical  _Who, me?_  Oh, this poor soul. I grab his hand. "C'mon. Let's go upstairs."

We take the stairs two at a time. I can hear Lucas breathing behind me, hear the soft  _thump_  of his feet against the carpeted stairs before we dive into the safety of my room.

"Gimme your hand," I demand like I haven't dragged him up the past few flights of stairs, and before waiting for him to respond, lightly squeeze his palm. His fingers are a lot warmer than before, less rigid and stiff in my grip. Lucas is getting over his shock. I sigh in relief and let go of his hand. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Lucas's eyes quickly dart away, roaming over my bedroom walls before resting on the nude-shot  _A_ _ll-Star_   _Venus_  poster. A pink flush creeps up the back of his neck before he flusters and ducks his head.

I bite down on my lip. Goddammit, why does he have to be so fucking adorable?

Instantly Lucas's face turns a lobster red.

It doesn't take me long to realize that (1) I've said that last part out loud and (2) I've said that last part out loud. Motherfucking _shit!_

My cheeks boil up. "That's what my mom said! She thinks that you're adorable."

Aaand I think I just delivered the death blow. I can almost  _see_  the steam shooting out of Lucas's mortified ears, and mouth agape, he's flushing so furiously that his blush is starting to spread across his neck and down the back of his skinny arms. After what looks like much internal struggle, Lucas shuffles in place and stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"She... bakes good cookies," he says awkwardly.

If I wasn't too busy feeling mortified myself, I might have laughed at his choice of words.  _She makes good cookies?_  Oh, Lucas. Silly Lucas. Better make the best of his mortified state until he starts trolling me again.

"You mind if I turn on some tunes?" I ask, and when Lucas shakes his head, I buzz my computer on. Looking very much conflicted, Lucas lingers uncertainly by the threshold of my bedroom.

I raised my eyebrows. "You know, you can come in."

"I should go home," he says softly.

Like fucking hell I'm letting the paparazzi mob him. I kick one of my old jeans out of the way to clear out a nice spot on the floor. "Hey, wanna watch something dope?"

And that's how we spend the rest of the day, with me and Lucas watching  _South Park_  and chilling on the cluttered mess of clothes strewn over the floor. With no one to bother us. With no one to peek and poke and prod.

It's a nice break from the society that wanted to eat us alive.

Halfway through another episodic rendition of  _Oh my God, they killed Kenny!_ , I take a quick glance in Lucas's direction, and snort when he's nodding off again, his head dipping into his chest. His blond hair's still a mess from the early morning work-out, and every couple of seconds or so, Lucas's head would bob lower and lower until he jerks himself out of his doze, because whoever the hell is outside is making a pretty loud racket-

"It's the paparazzi," Lucas mutters, and I jump. Straining my ears, I can hear them more clearly now through the closed blue curtains - the annoying clicks and snaps of a thousand tell-tale cameras. I smack the side of my head. Duh. There have been sightings of me around town; some of the more eager reporters would've headed to my house for a hopeful glimpse or two. Good thing my room is on the second floor.

I consider opening the window to flip them off.

"Don't," Lucas says.

I jolt in shock. Geez, it's like Lucas is psychic. I take that back - Lucas  _is_  psychic. "Did you read my-"

"No." Lucas stretches his arms. "You had that crazy look in your eyes again."

I make a face at him and turn around. Of course. Lucas couldn't read someone's mind whenever he  _felt_  like it. Eye contact was involved, or some shit of the sort. From what he's told me, larger crowds make it harder for him to concentrate, and even if Lucas  _can_  read my mind, I know that he won't. At least, not on purpose. There's an unspoken etiquette that all psychics follow. Namely,  _don't fuck with my mind and I won't fuck with yours._

Still, the accuracy of Lucas's sharp perception scares the piss out of me.

I experimentally flex my hands. There's so much overlap between our psychic powers - clairvoyance, elemental psychokinesis, et cetera - that it's really hard to set Lucas and me apart. But I'll do my best to spare you the time and water down the main differences.

Lucas is the lucky one. He's a telepath. A mindreader. Like the kind you see in the rad X-men Marvel comics. He can read and project thoughts within a certain radius. He can read  _everyone's motherfucking mind_ _._  Like, how freaking badass is that?

Then you have me. The empath. I can sense feelings through touch. Toss in a whole bunch of empathy links somewhere into the mix, and we're good. Oh yeah, and my telepathy-slash-mindreading powers are shit. The end. That's pretty much about it.

Seriously, fuck empathy links. I'm already an emotional clusterfuck twenty-four seven, so adding  _empath_  on top of that... god, no wonder my life's a nuclear disaster of feelings. My whole goddamn name is a suffix for emotion, for crying out loud. Sadness, happiness... gayness. Heh.

All right, I admit that my empathy links can be pretty cool. Most of the time, I don't even realize that they're there. They chill on the side doing their own touchy-feely thing, and grow stronger the more I got to know someone. Like, new friend?  _BAM!_  Have a free empathy link!

Maybe that's why I like to socialize a lot. I like the warm, tingly sensation of the empathy links flaring up like Christmas lights. Hell whenever they flare up, I can tell that somehow, someone I know is happy, and it genuinely makes  _me_  happy, because I  _know_  they're happy. But like all mental links, my empathy links are a two way street. I can read everyone's feelings, but occasionally, I get so worked up that everyone else can feel what I'm feeling. So I guess keeping my crush a secret from Lucas  _for an entire year_  is pretty fucking impressive on its own right.

And there he goes, ruffling my hair again. I bat his hand aside with a scowl, but Lucas's lips only twitch into an approximation of a smirk.

On one end, you have me. The emotional train wreck.

Then on the other end, you have Lucas, whose empathy link flatlined like a dead fish attached to a failing heart monitor. Lucas is hard to read... because he  _is_  hard to read. Sometimes, I'm lucky to strike gold and feel subtle twinges, little jerks of feeling in our empathy link, but whenever I do, I can't tell what Lucas is feeling, much less why. Not that I expect as much. Lucas is calm and composed. He keeps his shit together, and it shows.

Weirdly enough, I kind of understand. Lucas is super awkward when it comes to talking about himself. No shit, he doesn't  _do_  feelings. He's not the type of person to sit down and open up _,_  so really, it's the little things that show that he cares.

Like right now. He's ruffling my hair again. A part of me is tempted to scowl at his smirking face and tell him to piss off, but Lucas knows exactly how to play the game. He backs off whenever he senses that I'm not in the mood, then strikes back later when I least expect it. If I didn't know him better, I would've thought that he was acting  _playful_.

Though in all honesty, I'm pretty sure that Lucas just likes to troll me.

Skinny bastard.

The change is subtle, really, but that's how I know it's important. Because Lucas is telling me  _hang in there_  in his own Lucas way. And while his triumphant smirk pisses the shit out of me at times, it secretly makes me feel glad that he's smirking at  _me_. Skinny, socially-awkward Lucas is socially awkward around so many people, but I'm not one of them.

It makes my heart go fizzy inside. Like a soda pop. All fizzy, bubbly, and warm. Oh no, not again. I bite down on the corner of my lip so hard that I draw out blood.

I didn't love him.

I  _didn't._

Ugh, fuck my life, I still did. And it sucks because I  _want_  to get over him, but can't. I'm struggling, stuck in this horrible limbo where I'm lost and can't find the door to escape from my feelings.

"The paparazzi's gone," Lucas says, and I peek through the curtains. Sure enough, the en masse has cleared out. Probably went back to sweep Onett for more tip-offs, but I know that they'll be back to circle my house like vultures. They always do.

"Let me teleport you home-" I begin.

"It's good. I have to walk back and pick up my new phone. My model's no longer in production, so the company decided to give me a smartphone instead." For a split second, Lucas's eyes flicker back to mine. I wonder if he's going to ruffle my hair again - oh, nope, nevermind, he's just getting up. Not denying my disappointment there.

Trying  _not_  to like Lucas is easier said than done.

Uneasy, I dig my nails into my palms before I can do something stupid like hold his hand. "Use the back door," I mutter.

We traipse down the stairs. By now, it's clear that it's late afternoon. The skyline is beginning to teeter between grape and orange. I fervently hope that my mom's not back from work, or that she's taking an afternoon nap, but the hope dies with the sound of Elton John on the stereo.

My mom's awake. She's humming under her breath and washing dishes in the kitchen sink. When Lucas opens his mouth to say hello, I frantically shove him out of the house, because good god, the last thing anyone in my family needs is  _more_  ammunition to speculate on the identity of my gay crush. Thankfully, Lucas catches my drift, but still, throws me a rueful look. He seems reluctant for not greeting my mother for  _the gracious stay_ , so he puts it, so I smack him in the back and tell him to go home before he could catch another cold.

As I watch him slouch out of sight, I spot Tracy peeking through the railings of the stairs from the corner of my eye. She's wearing an evil smirk that could rival the Joker's, except hers practically sings,  _I've got blackmail and you don't._  When Tracy catches my eye, she immediately starts making stupid kissy gestures in my direction. Scowling, I flip her the bird, and she cheerfully flips me back before retreating into her colorful cave of makeup and nail polish.

Stupid little sisters.

Despite my best efforts, my mom hears the back door click shut. I know she has, because the water stops running, and I can't hear the  _clink_  of the dishes anymore. Before I can make a dash for it, my mom materializes by the doorway.

"Ness."

Shit.

I involuntarily flinch. "Mom, I'm busy," I mutter without turning around. "Uh, have to work out. Winter Championships 're coming up-"

"You have time for five minutes. Sit down, honey."

I freeze. I recognize that tone. Sure enough, _oh my god, mom's got that sad, glazed look in her eyes again._

Dad's divorce  _wrecked_  my mom. It's like the day my dad stepped out of the house for good, I lost a good part of my mom too. Most of the time, she holds it together pretty well, but other days, it feels like she isn't quite there.

The smallest emotional trigger can set it off. Or basically, anything that reminds her of dad (READ: ME). She gets these really bad episodes where she pretends that dad is still here, that dad is still home, that dad never left. One time, she prepared four plates for a meal, placed the black rotary-dial in dad's empty seat, and watched it expectantly like the fucking phone could eat dad's dinner.

In the end, I finished the extra plate.

And after every episode, my mom would get all ashamed and hide in her room to cry. It's fucking tragic, really, and it's the only time I'd ever been grateful for my empathy powers. I can make her feel happy. I can make her feel better.

My mom's super sweet. She's sweet and kind and didn't deserve the shit my dad played on her.

So when she pulls out a wooden chair from the dining table with those creepy glazed eyes, I give in and face her. Oh god, I'm so nervous, you wouldn't believe it. For the past couple of days, I felt like I was in a stranger's house. Seriously, the entire place was dead silent all the time, and if you lived with us, you'd understand why it was so fucking weird. My house is  _never_  quiet, with King constantly barking in his kennel and my sister chatting away on her phone and my mom hollering a  _Ness, language!_ or  _Tracy, inside voices!_

So whenever my mom turns quiet, it means that some serious shit is about to go down.

"I never thought that this day would come," she says, and I feel my stomach jolt when her voice sounds unsteady, like she's already trying not to sound upset. "Honey, I want us to be honest about this. Can you do that for me?"

I grimace. "I'll try."

It must have been good enough, because clasping my hands, Mom starts off with a deep breath. "First things first. Did you or did you not have unprotected sex-"

Appalled, my cheeks flare up like a bonfire. "Mom!"

"Sorry, honey, but as your mother, I need to know-"

"Just because I'm bi doesn't mean I whore myself out!"

"Language," she says sternly, and I clamp my mouth shut. "You know what the celebrity industry is like. Child trafficking happens all the time. And you  _know_  it's a legitimate question," she continues when I open my mouth to protest. "Don't think I don't know what teens do. I was once a teen too, believe it or not."

Most people have romantic stories about how their parents met. Like you know, the time your dad sat you down and spun you a  _How I Met Your Mother_  into one glittery, G-rated  _Once Upon a Time_  fairytale, and it was just so disgustingly lovey-dovey and cheesy that you want to cringe because no one wants to think about their own parents eating each other's faces off. Since my mom grew up with pretty strict Christian parents, you'd think that she would've bought the whole rubbish talk about "protecting your virginity until marriage for jesus" and blah blah blah.

Not so much with my mom. My mom was only seventeen when she met my dad. They sort of had an unofficial fling back in highschool before Dad asked her out to senior prom. He practically  _swept_  her off her feet, driving her through the streets of Onett in his red Cadillac, and I've heard this story recounted so many times that it's pretty much ingrained into my brain. Anyways point is, during the afterparty at a friend's place, one drink led to another, and, erm, they ended up doing the nasty up in one of the empty bedrooms. Seriously, I love my mom with all my heart, but thank Holy Jesus for condoms, because I didn't want to be the result of a freak horny accident. Though I probably am. I was born the year mom and dad had gotten married, only a few years after they'd first boned.

Mom's always regretted starting a relationship early. That's probably why she's so concerned about me.

My cheeks burn even hotter. "Mom, I swear I didn't have sex."

"Hmm." Mom purses her lips. "So... this attraction you have to boys..."

"I like girls."

"Yes. That." She swallows as if forcing something sour down. "But you also like guys."

I uncomfortably shift in my seat. "Just one guy-"

"But he's not a girl."

An image of Lucas stuffed into one of Paula's pink summer dresses wildly slams into my mind, and it's  _so_  silly and ridiculous that I have to force down the hysterical giggles threatening to bubble up my throat. "No."

"How do you know you like him that way?"

"I just know, mom."

"You might see him as a close friend, Ness. Don't confuse friendship with love," Mom says gently, almost  _patronizingly._  "I know what you're going through, sweetie. I remember having my fair share of crushes before meeting your father-"

"Right," I mutter. "Fat load of good that did."

Mom looks like I'd hit her with a sledgehammer.

Horrified by my slip of tongue, I shoot up in my seat. "Mom-"

"No, you're right," she murmurs, settling back into her seat. "Feelings don't last. Infatuation fades. That goes for everyone. Even for your father. And over time, you realize that you don't know people as well as you might want to admit."

"Not everyone's like that douchebag-"

Mom squeezes my hands. "Ness, you need to be more careful," she says, her eyes watering. "Especially now. You are underage. You are one of the Original Twelve. The paparazzi are always on the watch, and just one mistake can make your life so, so hard. You must promise me not to make it any harder than it is."

"Mom-"

"You're straight. You  _have_  to be straight."

"But I'm not," I say plaintively.

"Then lie. Tell the media that you made a mistake, tell them that you're straight-"

"It doesn't work that way, mom," I whisper, trying not to cry, because now I can  _feel_ her fucking regret, and that hurt more than anything, because she doesn't think that I'm normal.

Mom slides her hands down the sides of my face. "You're only seventeen," she says shakily,  _tearfully,_  and her fingers dig into my cheeks. "Please, Ness, don't be like me. Don't choose the hard road-"

I crack a weak smile. "It's not that hard, mom. I can handle it."

Whatever I said only made it worse. Her eyes have glazed all over again, and oh fuck, she's breaking down, she's entering another episode, fuck fuck fuck. Fighting through her waves of panic, I try to layer my words with a modicum of calm. "Mom, it's  _okay._  It's not as bad as you think-"

"I shouldn't have let you drop out of school-"

"I wanted to drop out of school, mom."

"It was me, I raised you wrong-"

"That's not-"

"I shouldn't have divorced your father-"

_"Don't bring dad into this!"_  That finally gets her attention, and feeling my eyes sting, I clench my teeth together. "Dad has  _nothing_  to do with this. Even if he stayed, it would've happened. I liked a guy. I liked a  _guy,_  mom, and if you have a problem with it, then I guess you'll just have to disown me because I'm a failure who can't live up to your perfect expectations!"

My mom says something, reaching for me again, but biting back a choke, I bat her hands aside and sprint out the door. All I can think about is the ache in my lungs, the ache in my heart, the cold air hitting my face, but no matter how fast I try to run, I can't escape the truth of her pointed words.

My mom is my best friend. I tell her everything. I trust her with everything.

I  _had_  trusted her with everything.

My fingers trembling madly, I fumble for my phone. Before I know it, I'm dialing a familiar number, and I almost cry with relief when the smug, sassy voice enters my ears.

"Well, hey there, Mr. Celebrity. It's been a while. I almost thought you died-" Hearing my raspy sobs, Paula's voice suddenly switches to worry. "Ness? Are you... What happened?!"

"I can't... My mom..."

"What about your mom? Is she hurt?!"

"She's not... couldn't understand..."

Paula's voice turns serious. "Ness. Where are you?"

I lift my head. Something bright blurs into my vision. "B-Bakery. Onett. Paris Baguette."

"I'm coming over. Don't you  _dare_  move."

"But you live in-"

The phone clicks off. Wiping away the tears leaking out of my swollen eyes, I trudge towards the bakery and try to catch my breath.

Within minutes, the sound of crunching snow precedes the whip of a fluttery pink dress. Cold white smoke escaping from her gasping mouth in tendrils, Paula stumbles over, three bags of  _Macy's_ merchandise on each arm. Diving forward, Paula shakes my shoulders. "Are you hurt?!"

"'M okay," I mutter, shrugging her hand off in embarrassment. "Sorry I called, you can go now-"

"Right, like I'm leaving you now, you dumbass! _"_  Paula's voice rises higher in pitch. "You sounded like a wreck on the phone! I thought your mom died!"

What? Did I sound that bad?

Her eyes blaze with worry. " _What happened,_  Ness?"

There's no point in lying. Paula will see through me. She's an empath, after all.

I drop my eyes. "Uh, I came out to my mom. She had another episode."

A look of understanding dawns in her eyes. Paula purses her lips into a thin line. "Let's get something hot for you to drink." Rubbing soothing circles into my back, she all but drags me into the warmth of the bakery.

There are still a good number of customers inside the cafe. Ducking our heads and walking as quickly as we can, Paula pushes me into one of the booths in the back. Colorful cartoony fruits stickers are plastered everywhere over its walls, and a happy cartoon strawberry dances along the rim of the door, saying cheesy pick-up lines to the outrageously large banana beside it.

A private booth.

A  _date_  booth.

At any other time, it might have been embarrassing, but considering that Paula found me bawling my eyes out in the street, the privacy from any unwelcome eyes is so, so welcome. The last thing I want is a headline of me crying in the front page of  _The Smash Daily_ tomorrow _._

A steaming hot chocolate lands in front of my face. I stare at it in incomprehension before Paula slides into the booth across from me, her pretty stocking legs crossed in an agitated X.

"It'll help you feel better," she says, placing my hands around the cup. "Drink."

I do as she says. A sweet warmth blossoms across my taste buds. I don't feel relaxed, but my fingers have at least stopped shaking from the cold. Or if it's even because of the cold. I shiver again. "Thanks."

Paula's cheeks are dotted a faint pink from the cold. "I happened to be here for the Macy's sale. My dad's supposed to pick me up later."

"Tell him not to worry. I'll teleport you back," I mutter, curling my fingers around my cup. "And I'll pay for my cocoa-"

Paula rolls her eyes. "I don't care about the money, Ness. You paid last time."

"But-"

"Lucas helped me out last week, and now I'm helping you. Take that as thanks."

My elbow involuntary jerks into the napkin dispenser. "You saw Lucas?"

Perhaps it's my imagination, but Paula's face looks slightly redder. Embarrassment radiates through our empathy link. "I did," she admits, slowly dipping her head. "But that's not why I'm here, Ness."

I crack a weak smile and take another sip of cocoa. Has she fallen for Lucas too? Oh, the irony would be hilarious. Two of my best friends falling for each other. And Paula was a girl... it could work out. It could stand a chance. My shoulders slump over. "Did he mention me?"

"A bit," Paula says vaguely. She clearly wants to steer us away from the topic, and I let it go. I don't have the heart to ask. Her eyes hesitantly shift to my face. "Did something happen between you two?"

My stomach sinks lower. My lips turn numb. "I confessed to him. Back in the Mansion. It didn't go the way I hoped."

"Why not?"

"For starters, I  _might_  have been drunk..."

Paula winces. "Yikes."

"Yeah." I grip the mug tighter. "Lucas took it in well, but he said that he wanted to stay as friends. So I agreed."

"At least he understands-"

"Then I kissed him."

White-faced, Paula snaps her head up in shock. "H-How did he respond?"

I bury my face into my hands. "He doesn't love me back," I choke out.

"Oh, Ness...," Paula whispers, her eyes tearing up.

"I said... I said I made a mistake. I told him I was homesick instead. God, I can't tell Lucas that I like him  _again._  We're friends, Paula. Like, he's my best friend for fuck's sake, and he's been so patient with me that respecting his decisions is the least I could do for him... But I still can't get over him and I hate myself for freaking him out-" An embarrassing broken sob escapes from my aching throat. "And m-my mom... I shouldn't have run out on her-" My arms crumple under the weight of my head and slide onto the coffee table. "Why am I such a failure."

"You are not a failure."

"Yeah, I am."

"You saved a godforsaken planet from an alien tyrant."

"That's different."

"In what way?"

"I can't smack my feelings away with a bat."

Paula lets a small smile slip at that. "Not all problems can be solved with violence."

A watery chuckle escapes from my throat, and I wipe the messy tears from my face. "Doesn't stop me from wishing I could. That's why I have you here."

"Oh, Ness," she says softly. "What will you ever do without me?"

"I'd probably be dead in a ditch," I agree.

Paula stifles a smirk behind her hand. "Then do us both a favor and stop causing scandals left and right."

"Hey!" I protest.

Her eyes twinkling with mischief, Paula nudges the cup to my hands. "Drink up. Your cocoa's getting cold-"

"How did you get over me?"

Paula looks taken aback at the sudden inquiry. "What?"

"It's just-" I slowly shifted my own embarrassed eyes to the table. "It's a lot harder than you make it seem. Like," I gesture to myself. "I'm a fucking wreck. But you... you held up really well."

Her face turns slightly pink. "I don't know. I never gave it much thought. As long as we stayed close friends, I didn't mind, I guess."

"I'm sorry I keep calling you-"

"I  _like_  calling you," Paula says quietly. "Like I said, I want to keep in touch, Ness. Even if it's over unhappy stuff. Or sappy stuff. I know it sounds weird, but I meant every word when I asked you out."

I crack a weak smile. "Well, thanks. I mean it. I really owe you one."

"Dear god, Ness..." Paula looks about ready to die, and after hanging around Lucas for so long, I have to admit that it's a nice role reversal to be the  _teaser_  instead of  _being_   _teased_  for once.

"You're the real trooper."

"N-No!" She furiously flaps her hands in my direction. "You... You've done so many other things! Like saving me from Happy Happy Village! Th-This is the least I can do-"

"The real MVP."

"Stop it, oh god, you're going to make me laugh-"

I grin. "Then you should. No point in holding back."

And she does. It starts off as a giggle, but rises into a pleasant lilt, and my face brightens up into a wider grin when she starts to laugh for real. Her laughter lights up her eyes and gave the blonde curls of her hair life. Her laughter is also unfortunately infectious, and in no time, I find myself joining in, even though I've forgotten about why we're laughing in the first place.

Something buzzes against the table, and we glance at it at the same time - Paula's pink  _Hello Kitty_  phone. Regaining her breath, Paula checks the screen. The happy look on her face wavers. "It's getting late. My dad-"

"I'll teleport you home."

Then Paula breaks into a warm smile, and it's pretty because it's genuine. "Well, thank you, Kind Sir."

I give an exaggerated bow. "M'lady."

"Oh stop, you big flirt." Breaking into another burst of giggles, Paula reaches for her shopping bags. When I offer to carry them so I won't feel like a useless prick, she gives me a small smile, sly yet shy, before tugging my hand and sprinting out of the bakery. We run along the sidewalk like a pair of lovebirds, our shoes slipping and sliding over winter ice, and only slow down by the baseball field to watch the snow fall from the sky.

"It's snowing," she says, and reminded of Lucas's own words, my stomach gives a small lurch.

"Yeah, it is," I say softly.

The next few moments pass in a blur. I teleport Paula home. She invites me to stay the night, but I decline, saying that her dad is a  _racist redneck,_  and she rolls her eyes, pointing out that my brutally honest remarks haven't changed a bit.

I breathe out and shift in place. "I should go back home."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Her worried blue eyes flit to mine. My empathy link grows warm; her concern is so tangible, so  _real_  that I can  _feel_  it, and her reassurance is so welcome that I find myself involuntarily wanting to cling onto it.

"If anything happens-" She mimes a phone gesture. "Call me?"

I smile. "I will. Keep in touch."

"And don't get sick. The Winter Championship's in a few weeks." She places two fingers shyly to her lips. "I'll watch this time. On TV. Win a lot of matches...?"

"Fuck yeah."

Paula breaks into another warm smile. She turns around, her hair flying out into an silvery arc under the moonlight, and races to her front porch. When her mother opens the door to usher her in, I take that as the cue to teleport back.

A flurry of hot sparks. A colorful blur.

Paula's empathy link glows warm in my chest.

I breathe in. The cold air nips my nose, but somehow, I've never felt more alive. Energy thrumming through my veins, I sprint through the snowy fields homebound. Along the way, a flash of white catches my eyes, and I pause in front of the worn-down marble mansion.

The grass in the front yard is dead. All of the windows are dark. The house reeks of abuse and neglect.

As it had been since Pokey Minch left.

The happy feeling vanishes, leaving behind an eerie, haunted feeling. My feet turns into cold lead. I shiver and quickly hurry past.

Next door, my house is much more welcome. It's the same as I left it: warm, inviting, its windows aglow with light - the way a real home should be. I debate sneaking in, but my room is on the second floor, and past experiences of crashing painfully into a lamp tell me that teleporting in the dark is a  _very_ bad idea.

And my mom...

My mom needed me.

Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I ring the doorbell.

Light streams onto the frozen porch. "Welcome back, doofus," Tracy says, her arms crossed. "Way to go, freaking mom out. I had to calm her down and make her tea while you were gone. Hope you're fucking proud of yourself."

"Shut up, Trace," I mutter, brushing past her in search of my mom.

And freeze.

Mom stands in the middle of the living room. The shadow of the lamp lighting hides her expression.

Shaking, I stare at the carpet. "I'm home."

Before I realize it, her hands have grabbed my face, her fingers frantically raking my hair as if  _really_  feeling me to make sure that I am here, present in cold skin and bone. When she is finally convinced it's me, Mom gives a breathy, hoarse whisper of relief and crumples to her knees. "Nessie, oh my sweet baby boy-" My mom hugs me tight, and I can hear her breathing hit my ear. She still smells like home-cooked meals and warm laundry. "Come in, come in, let's warm you up-"

My throat clogs up. "Mom, I don't need-"

"Don't you  _dare_  think that I won't support you," she says breathlessly, sounding like she's on the verge of crying. "I know this is... It's hard for me... for both of us... but no matter who you love, you're my son. That's enough for me."

Slowly, I raise my own arms to complete the hug. "Thanks, mom," I say quietly.

My mom squeezes me tighter. "And if you happen to like a guy... that's... well, at least I won't have to worry about you getting anyone pregnant-"

_"Mom-"_

"We need to give you another Talk about the birds and the bees, but with just... the bees- and no-" She wipes her eyes. "Whatever you do, absolutely _no sex_  until you get married, do you hear me, young man?"

I crack a small grin. "Mom, it's okay. You can stop fussing over me now."

Like all good moms, she doesn't. Mom ushers me up to the stairs. I'm half-tempted to push her away, because what I  _want_  is peace and quiet, but at the look on her face, I falter.

We've already lost dad. She's afraid of losing me too.

So I let her smooth over my blankets and tuck me in without a word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I know this seems like a repetitive stress on how much Ness is struggling with his own feelings and how much Lucas loved his missing brother so far, but all of this detail will make more sense soon. ANGST AND PLOT BUILDUP YEAH
> 
> To clarify, Lucas is feeling something, but as of now, he (a) has yet to acknowledge that he likes Ness, (b) is confused about wtf he's feeling, (c) isn't ready to come out of the closet, (d) doesn't want to cause Ness any trouble BY coming out of the closet, (e) doubts that Ness's confession holds any weight, and (f) is prioritizing other immediate things in his life over a budding romance. We'll get to his POV soon!


	16. A Familiar Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas realizes.

_**~Prologue~** _

**Nuss 5:14PM**  
hey Lookas tis ur neighborhood frendly Nuss  
heres my number for ur new phone  
in case you ever wanna talk about puns and chocolate

 **Lookas 8:32PM**  
You know me so well  
I'm always up for puns and chocolate

 **Nuss 8:34PM**  
hahaha  
oh w8 ive got one  
are you chocolate pudding  
becuz I want t o spoon you

 **Lookas 8:37PM**  
That was horrible  
What has chocolate pudding ever done to you

 **Nuss 8:37PM**  
a lot   
its got its own wanted poseter  
trust me u don't want to know

 **Lookas 8:38PM**  
I candy your point  
All chocolate is good

 **Nuss 8:39PM**  
no its not  
im SNICKERing at ur lack of taste

 **Lookas 8:39PM  
** Sweet

 **Nuss 8:40PM**  
anyways i got an email from Master Hand  
he wants to skype us tomorrow morning at 8  
i thin hes going to chew me out  
aHH im freaking out what do i do  
should i unfriend him on fb

 **Lookas 8:45PM**  
Don't unfriend him  
He's a HANDy person

 **Nuss 8:46PM**  
...u feel that?  
that's me glaring straight into ur soul 4 ur bad pun  
  
but fuk hahaha I am so scrwed  
i think he wants us to skype him together  
my place or yours

 **Lookas 8:49PM**  
My place  
I'm too lazy to get out of bed

 **Nuss 8:49PM**  
wow  
really

 **Lookas 8:50PM**  
nah I'm messing wit you  
I don't mind whichever  
My neighborhood might not be the safest place though

 **Nuss 8:55PM  
** ill skateboard over :)

* * *

.

.

.

~ _ **Chapter Sixteen**_ ~

_**A Familiar Feeling** _

.

.

.

* * *

Seven-thirty in the morning, my cell phone shatters the silence with  _My Name is_   _Alexander Hamilton._  With a groan, I fumble for the source of godawful fanfare and press the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I croak.

"Hey, I teleported past the gate. Can you let me in?"

Disheveled and bleary-eyed, I shuffle out of my room and answer the door. In contrast to my pathetically dead state, Ness is a shining ball of enthusiasm. His face lights up upon seeing me.

"Hi." He's grinning. "Is Lucas home?"

I stare dumbly at him. Then pinch my nose. "No."

"Good thing I came over then," he says cheerfully, shouldering himself in with his  _Hot-wheels_ skateboard. "Gotta go and wake him up."

Shutting the door behind him, I stifle a yawn. "No bike this time?"

"Yeah, my bike lock's busted."

"You could've teleported yourself in."

Ness makes a face. "That'd be rude." He gestures at the little furniture we have. "Plus I could accidentally crash into something and damage your stuff."

Classic Ness. Worrying over the destruction of my property over his possible injury.

I give an incoherent mumble and shuffle to the kitchen to brew some coffee. Sunlight is peeking through the blinds, but as far as I'm concerned, it's too fucking early in the morning. Not all of us are hyperactive morning larks like Ness. Trudging over to the island, I prepare the ground beans and water before plugging the coffee machine into the outlet. The lid hisses and steams.

As Ness sets up his laptop and plugs in his charger in the living room, I get dressed and wash my face. When I emerge, tugging down another one of my striped shirts, Ness has comfortably made himself home on the couch.

"You want something to drink?" I ask him.

Ness shakes his head. "I had a big breakfast before I left," he says, patting his stomach. His eyes nervously flicker to the closest room down the hall. "Is your dad-"

"He's out."

Ness shakes his head again, this time in disbelief. "He's a real workaholic."

"He's over his pneumonia too." I pour myself a generous heap of coffee in the kitchen and breathe it in. Though I prefer tea, I like the taste of coffee. It's bitter, but it keeps me awake - Nature's best energy drink for emergencies. I take a sip, feeling it slowly clear out the fog in my brain. "I think I can head back to the mansion tomorrow. I let Master Hand know."

Ness's voice filters from the living room. "Same. We can teleport to the subway together."

I shuffle back and cave into another yawn. "And... thanks for the soup. I'll bring something over for your mom next time I'm over."

"You don't have to," Ness says quickly.

"I want to."

Ness's watch goes off. He glances at it and gulps. "Seven fifty-five," he says hoarsely, and when I sit beside him on the couch, he starts fidgeting and wringing his hands like a dirty sinner. "I'm so screwed. Master Hand is going to kill me," he moans. "I missed so many practice matches-"

"Practice matches aren't mandatory-"

"It's different for me. Master Hand actually looks at my practice match record, because I'm one of the twelve," Ness says, and he's so twitchy and jittery with anxiety that he's shaking on the couch like a buzzed drug addict. "He's going to hand me over to Crazy. I just  _know_  it. Crazy's gonna force me to do something totally embarrassing, and there's nothing I can do to stop him.  _I'm doomed-!"_

I place a hand on his shoulder and lightly shake it. "Hey. Do you want coffee."

Frozen wide-eyed, Ness falls still. His left eyelid twitches.

Turning back to my neglected cup of coffee, I heave a small sigh. "You came back to check on me. It wasn't like you ditched training for a lame excuse. So tell him that."

Ever so slowly, Ness shifts into the couch pillows. "Okay," Ness whispers. "Thanks."

The icon flashes across the laptop screen for an incoming Skype call. With rising trepidation, Ness clicks on it and accepts the call.

Needless to say, I'm feverishly glad that my dad has already gone to work. Our apartment walls are thin. Soundproof-free.

They're certainly not  _Master Hand-friendly._

**"You've left the entire mansion in a state of utter chaos- _"_**

**"HA. hA! CHaOS!"**

**"-caused a massive surge of activity in the shipping poll over the past twenty-four hours-"**

**"ANaRCHy? BRiLLiaNt!"**

**"-and appeared on the front page of the _Smash Daily!_ "** Master Hand booms, jabbing the colorful 6" by 8" cover page of the subway station into the computer screen. If the circumstances hadn't been so dire, I might've laughed; as it was, I ended up ducking my head to stifle a snort into my hand. Ness's flailing headshot blocked out over half of the blown-up photo, his expression stuck in a perpetual  _herp-derp_. In the background of the photo, I catch the just-recognizable faces of Toon, Red, and Popo fleeing in mortal terror from the camera. Glowering with a hellish wildfire, Master Hand slams the paper down.  **"NESS. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE."**

Ness gives a nervous laugh. "I... boosted your sales?"

Hell hath no fury than a Hand's scorn.  **"Lucas's Leave of Absence was supposed to be an undercover secret from the press. What _you_  did was bring all the paparazzi to Onett."**

"Sorry," Ness says meekly.

" **bLAtaNt diSReGaRd fOr ruLeS? mE LIKEy!"**  Crazy Hand cackles, waggling his finger.  **"OOooOOh, NESSie, yOU'vE bEEn A vERY NAUgHty bOy!"**

**"We were about to send out search parties before inner intelligence stated that you left of your own accord-"**

**"ha! HAHa! I sAy wE PUNisH hIm-"**

**"-and so help me, disciplinary action will be taken."**

**"nO CaNDY fOr TwO THOuSAND YeARS!"**

Their voices bounce against the empty walls. We can feel Master Hand's smoldering anger seep through the screen of Ness's silver Apple laptop, and thoroughly whupped, Ness shrinks deeper into the couch. "I was checking on Lucas-"

**"And I told you it was all under control."**

"To be fair, you did lie and say that I was sick," I mumble.

Crazy Hand twitches gleefully.  **"YeAH, BRo. YoU _liED._  HOw doES iT fEEL tO bE ThE BAd kiD nOw?"**

 **"Crazy, please. This is not the time."** Master Hand slumps into his seat.  **"While I am most certainly relieved to find you both in one piece before the Winter Championships, proper disciplinary action must be enacted. Ness, I** **will place you under temporary house arrest until further notice-"**

"House arrest?!" Ness sputters out. "Who are you, my mom?"

 **"ENOUGH!"**  Master hand slams himself against his desk, and Ness flinches.  **"You've not only gone MIA, but also sparked an uprising of Nesscas followers, became an international shipping sensation, _and_  created a new Internet meme in the span of less than a day. That does it, Ness. I'm putting the hand down. With the sole exception of Lucas, who is on official leave, you are to return to the mansion  _immediately._  Am I clear?"**

Ness shrivels up in his seat. "Crystal."

Setting down the newspaper, Crazy Hand nervously twitches in the corner.  **"eH, bRO-bRO. yOU mIGht waNNa sEe thIs."**

**"See what?"**

**"ThIs sUPeR sHADy tHInG iN tHE PaPER."**

As the two Hands converse off-screen, Ness glumly wiggles his socked feet against the living room carpet. "Hooray. So is this the part you say,  _I told you so?_ "

"No. I don't like seeing you get into trouble," I mutter.

Ness breaks into a small smile. "Then I'll swear off all trouble making," he says seriously, crossing his heart. "I will be the new Poster Boy of good behavior."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "Don't make promises that you can't keep."

"I don't," Ness insists.

Someone clears their throat, and we turn our attention back to Ness's laptop.  **"There's been a change of plans,"** Master Hand says grimly.  **"Ness, stay in Onett today."**

Ness perks his head up in surprise. "Huh? Why?"

 **"I wouldn't have dropped patrol duty on you before the Championships, but since you happen to be conveniently staying in Onett, all the better for us."**  With a rustle of static, Master Hand picks up his crumpled copy of the  _Smash Daily_.  **"There's been a sudden hike in Shark raids-"**

"And you want the two of us to investigate."

**"Twenty-four hours. Two psychics working together on the case might yield some clues."**

I shift uneasily in my seat.

Oblivious to my discomfort, Ness is quick to respond. "Sure. We'll sweep the area. One thing, though." Ness flicks the bill of his cap. "Why do you need  _us_  to step in? The Sharks are a street gang of highschool dropouts. They're not a threat. The police could easily handle them on a one-to-one."

Master Hand exchanges a worried glance with his brother.  **"We have our suspicions. This might be a part of an insidious development. A greater evil."**

"Yeah." Ness points at me. "They beat up Lucas."

"They didn't beat me up. They stole my phone," I protest, but Ness shoots me an  _O RLY?_

"Same thing."

"It's not-"

 **"Whatever it is, they've gone quiet after several coordinated robberies. Crickets. Radio silence _._  My experience of dealing with criminals tells me that a major heist is underway."** Master Hand twiddles his thumb.  **"I** **want you both to take a quick glance around for anything remotely suspicious. We can launch preparations for a proper investigation after the Championships, but if I could, I'd bet all of my fingers that the Sharks up to no good."**

 _No shit,_  Ness thinks sarcastically, and I resist the urge to snort a second time. For a second, I'm afraid that he's about to speak his mind, but Ness must've caught onto the severity of the situation, because there's only one thing worse than having one pissed-off Hand: TWO pissed-off Hands.

"Sounds swell," Ness says instead, then casts a hopeful glance at the monitor. "So... if you want me to stay here..."

Master Hand takes one glance at his pleading, puppy dog expression and sighs. The tension vanishes from his knuckles. **"Ness, you do try my patience,"**  he mutters, sweeping a thumb across his paperwork.  **"But Crazy is right. I could've handled this situation better. The Championships are a stressful season for everybody. Very well, just this once, I'll let your misdemeanor slide. Make up for it by training hard - Harder than you ever have."**  When Ness perks up like a happy dog who's won a treat, Master raises his figurative eyebrows.  **"I'm not going on soft on you. If you c** **ause any more trouble, then the deal's off."**

"I love you, Master Hand," Ness says fervently.

**"Hah. Well. Lucas, keep this troublemaker in line."**

"Hey!"

"No guarantees," I say wryly, and Ness throws me a betrayed look.  _I thought you were supposed to be on my side_ , he mouths, and I give him a helpless shrug. Keeping him safe is my job, regardless of whose side I'm on.

Master Hand relaxes. **"Good. Do your best to avoid the paparazzi. I'll see you both in twenty-four hours."**

Crazy Hand pops into the screen with a wild cackle. "yEAH! aND SeND uS pOSTcArDS oF yOUR BeaUTIfUL HoNEYmOOn!"

**"Crazy, no-"**

The screen fizzles out.

Ness shuts his laptop with a groan. "Some honeymoon this is. They didn't even give us the time off."

"And I thought people go on a honeymoon  _after_  getting married," I agree, stretching my cramped joints.

"Tracy says that we already bicker like a married couple."

"I just like to bicker with you apparently."

Giving me a forced laugh, Ness lightly elbows me in the side. "A-Anyways. The Sharks. If they're causing trouble again, we should have a chat with my old pal, Frank Fly."

"Frank Fly? Isn't he-"

"Yup! Head honcho of the Sharks!" Ness slings his bag over his shoulder and grabs hold of his skateboard under the other. "He's a good guy. Tried to kill me but changed his mind after I disbanded his gang."

"An awful lot of people want to kill you," I note.

"Hey, I was an eleven-year-old kid trying to save the world. Take it easy," Ness defends himself, puffing up his cheeks. "But yeah, Frank's not a bad guy. He decided to reform and open a fast food company instead. We sometimes go grab pizza when I'm in town. I think you'll like him."

Leave it to Ness. He has such an odd motley crew of friends that I've lost count. Only he could be bffs with an ex mafia-slash-street-gang boss and actually pull it off.

"Let's meet him for lunch. Lemme teleport and drop off my stuff first."

"Sounds like a plan."

His eyes brighten up. "Cool. Then I'll see you at the gates in five." He hops up to ruffle my hair. As soon as his feet touch the ground, Ness dashes past me with a wild whoop-

And leaps over the railing from the FOURTH FLOOR.

With a shout of alarm, I race outside, but Ness has already skidded onto the pavement on his skateboard. Our powers help us defy physics and slow our descent, but that's still no excuse for him to play dumb!

"You're going to hit your head one day," I exhale, heavily catching my breath in relief over the railing, and grinning like a loon, Ness meets my eyes. My heart stutters and stops in panic.

This red-capped idiot is going to be the end of me.

Even from up here, I can hear the teasing lilt in his voice. Ness cups his hands over his mouth.  "Sheesh, Lucas! Never would've struck you as the worried type." His crooked grin widens so that he's grinning ear to ear. "It's okay! If I get hurt, I'll have you to heal me."

"That's not what my PSI is for-"

"Later, Lookas," Ness yells before dashing behind the dumpster. A blink of power in my mind tells me that he's teleported.

With a small groan, I bury my face into my hands. Suddenly, keeping Ness safe doesn't seem like an easy promise to uphold.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

We meet Frank Fly at the pizza parlor.

For a guy who once ran a street gang, Frank doesn't look the least bit gun-ho. He doesn't have weird piercings on his nose, and he doesn't wear baggy jeans that threaten to slide off his arse. His chin is cleanly shaved of facial hair, and to my surprise, he's even dressed in business formal attire.

When Ness calls out his name with a furious wave, Frank does a double-take.

 _"Ey!"_  Frank says, lowering his shades in surprise. "Haven't seen you in a while, Nessie."

"We should catch up," Ness chirps. He drags me over by the arm and starts making introductions. "This is Lucas. Lucas, Frank."

Frank smiles. "Well, any buddy of Ness is mine."

Ness watches me expectantly. I can almost feel his eyes  _willing_  me to make first contact. The look is unnecessary; while I'm shy of speaking, I do try to be courteous, and leaving Frank hanging would be a rude welcome on my part. Still, Ness's encouragement urges me to close in the gap, and I'm just about to extend a hand out in greeting until my limbs suddenly lock into place, trapped by Frank's eyes. A cold chill runs down my spine.

I recognize this man.

"Lucas, huh? You look familia-" Frank stops. A slow realization dawns in his eyes, and the smile on his face falters. "You're..."

I slowly withdraw my hand. Digging my nails into the side of my arm, I force a smile. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Fly."

Ness looks confused by the sudden spike of tension. His head whips back and forth between us. "You two know each other?" he says in disbelief.

"Saw him in passing." Frank's eyes shift away from mine. His voice turns gruff. "Anyways, boys, pizza's on me."

Throughout the entire meal, Ness kept shooting me looks, surreptitiously elbowing me in the side or lightly kicking me under the table to talk. He even tried projecting his thoughts loudly my way to grab my attention, but I apathetically stared out the window and twisted my fists into my lap. I wasn't interested in joining the conversation.

I wanted nothing to do with this man.

I wanted nothing to do with what he represented.

Eventually, Ness gives up. I absentmindedly keep track of their dialogue, but it's hard not to drift off - Ness seems more than happy to socialize and catch up instead with the ex-mafia boss, who - sitting beside Ness - behaves more like a long-lost Uncle than an incriminating crime lord. When the waiter bustles over to refill our water, I spare Ness a hesitant glance to remind him why we're here, but Ness is busy making enthusiastic gestures again with noisy side-accompanying  _whooshes_  and  _kabooms_. He's excitedly enraptured in telling some wild story or another, and clutching his sides, Frank Fly roars with laughter.

They work their way through the second 16" pepperoni with mushrooms when Ness suddenly stands up.

"Bathroom," he announces, tossing his napkin onto his chair. "Be right back!"

Within the blink of an eye, he disappears around the  ** _STAFF ONLY_  **sign.

Well, this is awkward.

Clearing his throat, Frank Fly sets down his glass of diet coke. "Well, kid. I can't say that I'm not surprised to see you here. How's the new life treating yah?"

"Good."

Frank barely wavers at the one word response. "I'm glad to see you out of the hood," he says, offering me a cig. When I decline it with a jerky shake of my head, Frank Fly nods and lights its end. "Right. You never liked cigs-"

"I'm not here to smoke joints," I say stiffly.

"Right, right," Frank murmurs, the cigarette in his mouth bobbing up and down. "I can't believe I never put two and two together. You working for the side of the law now? Impressive." He gives a low, breathy chuckle. "Ness is an interesting kid. He sees the good in the ugliest of people. He sure changed my life. Changed yours too by the looks of it."

When I uneasily stay silent, Frank takes a drag and blows it in the other direction. "All that fame hasn't gotten to his head like a lot of the popular folk. His heart's in the right place... but I worry for him, kid, I do. Ness can be too trusting of strangers." Frank takes another drag. "It makes me feel a lot better that he's got a skeptic like you around." He flashes his tobacco-stained teeth at me like a feral shark. "A pragmatist. Someone with a steady head on shoulders."

"Ness isn't a kid. He can take care of himself."

Frank laughs. "You've changed a lot, kid."

"I have a long way to go."

"Don't we all." His eyes crinkling at the edges, Frank leans over to clap a hand on my shoulder. "I know it's too late for us to make amends, but keep a close eye out for that rascal, will you? I prefer to see him alive and kickin'."

Then Ness returns to the table with an enthusiastic clamor, and welcoming him back, Frank pinches off the end of his ash-caked cigar. Ness looks more than eager to renew conversation, but this time, Frank shakes his head. "Hey, kid. Don't get me wrong, I love the chit-chat, but I have a feeling you're here for somethan' else."

Horrified, Ness jerks his head up. "Oh fuck, I forgot! The investigation-"

"Over my former gang. Key word: former. No hard feelings, Nessie," Frank Fly says, waving his apologies off. "An'ways, the Sharks have a new boss now, an' it's not me. I  _did_  hear a thing or two about some higher up paying them for a major heist-"

"A higher up?" Ness asks with a frown.

Frank shrugs. "Dunno who. Again, some higher up. Must be important if the Sharks aren't blowing his brain out with a gat. I bet a whole diamond that he's a either a politician or a business man."

"It's a he."

"Yep. That's all I know. Sorry, kid. If ya want clues, check out their turf. Don't go there now," Frank adds when Ness rises halfway out of his seat. Embarrassed, Ness sinks back down. "That's right, Nessie. I'd wait til nightfall. 'S dangerous, but them Sharks like to work in the dark. If you wanna catch someone to spill the beans, then the Arcade's your best shot." Frank Fly jerks his head in my direction. "Your friend should know how to get you in."

Ness shoots me a puzzled look. I shrug back, averting my eyes. The waiter places the bill on the table, and Frank presses a whole fifty on the table.

Crumpling up the customer receipt, Frank tips his fedora back. "Well, kids. I gotta go. Don't die now."

On that pleasant note, our audience with the reformed crime lord came to a close.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

We hang out at my place until the sky dims and the stars peek out. When the street lights start popping along the main road, I poke Ness awake and toss him his shoes.

The temperature tonight is below freezing. A sliver of ice coats the cobbled alleyway. Dotting our view, dingy apartments creak and groan in protest to the temperature change.

The only other sound that breaks the silence is the  _crunch_  of our shoes into snow and Ness's complaining.

"Master Hand better not punish us for this."

"We should keep our voices down," I mutter, keeping my mind alert. So far, so good. Nobody is in the area.

Wrapping himself in his jacket, Ness rubs the goosebumps from his arms. "What did Frank mean? Like, about you getting us in," he says, watching me drop to my knees and pat down the icy ground. "It's past closing time. The Arcade's locked-"

"Not anymore," I say in relief, flipping the spare key into my palm.

Ness turns slack-jawed. "Bloody hell."

Unlocking the backdoor of the Arcade, I kick it open. "After you."

"How did you do that?" he says faintly. Ness scrunches his thick eyebrows into a frown. "No, it was like..." He jumps back and starts mimicking me in an exaggerated impression. "Like,  _poof._  Da-da-da, Magic Key!"

"I have my ways," I say vaguely.

A half-truth. I buried the key in this spot many years ago, and I'm lucky that it's stayed here. Any more waiting tonight, and the ground would've been frozen too solid to dig anything out with my bare hands.

Bursting to the brim with unanswered questions, Ness hesitantly searches my face, but this time, he gives me the benefit of doubt. He trudges inside, ducking under the door frame and breathing into the winter chill.

The Arcade is darker inside. Slivers of moonlight scatter across the dusty windows and paint the squalid floor pale blue. The old light fixtures creak and groan, and our sneakers squeak loudly against the filthy tiles.

"D'you sense anyone?" Ness whispers.

My eyes rake over the darkened rows of arcade games. "No."

"Me neither." His eyes shining in the dark, Ness presses his hand to his chest. When he blinks again, his eyes have died down to its natural nocturnal glow. "I don't feel anyone around."

"There's no one here," I say slowly. "This place should've been lit."

"Lit?"

"On a good day, it's packed. There should've been bouncers out front."

Ness grips his bat tighter. "What if it's a trap?"

Wary now, I consider the possibility. It's too soon to lower our guard. "Keep your eyes pealed open."

As Ness takes watch, squinting through the windows, I duck underneath the pool tables. A crisp packet. Several empty beer bottles. No sign of people. Grimacing at the sour stench of alcohol, I straighten myself up and accidentally bump against Ness's arm.

Ness flinches in surprise.

"Sorry," I mutter.

"It's okay." Ness's rapid breathing fills my ears. He scrunches his eyes shut. "Let's check out the second floor."

I give a mutter of assent, and we head over to the exits. Our footsteps noisily echo up the stairwell like claps of thunder. Ness takes the front, both hands on his trusty bat, and only pausing to take a glance back, I ready a PK Magnet on my fingertips.

The door on the second floor is ajar.

With a deep breath, Ness pokes the rusty hinges with his bat. It creaks. When nothing else happens, he charges into the storage room with a yell-

Only to fall face-first into an empty cardboard box.

Popping his head up, Ness breaks out into a stifled snort, then triggered by his own snort, outright starts laughing.

Alarmed, I hurry over and clap a hand over his mouth.  _"Shh."_

Squirming around in my hold, Ness gulps down a choked gasp. "L-Lucas, there's no one here."

"Shh, stop laughing. You're gonna get us killed-"

"No, you  _Shh_ ," Ness says.

I jerk my head up. My skin crawls with an unpleasant chill. Someone's watching us. My eyes flicker over the landing to -  _there._ A dark, skulking figure. Jolting to my feet, I hurl a PK Freeze its way, hitting it square in the chest. Boxes topple around us in a pile of dust, and when Ness gives a sharp yelp of shock behind me, I flinch and whirl around to face his assailant-

Ness grabs my wrists from behind. "Stop, Lucas! There's no one here."

I follow his eyes back to the toppled pile of boxes.

Ness is right. There  _is_  no one there.

Shame prickles my mind. The floor suddenly sways. My knees grow weak, so I sit down hard. "I-I thought-" I start stupidly.

As if reading my mind, Ness tightens his hold on my hands. His hands are comfortably warm, so comfortably warm and reassuring that I grip them back like a lifeline.

"Are you okay?" he whispers.

It's only then I realize that I'm shaking.

There's no point in telling him that I'm fine. Ness would eventually pry the truth out of me. I struggle to get the shameful words out. "This was... this was the joint." I take a breath. "Where I dealt drugs."

"What?"

"In third grade. I was small and stupid," I mumble. "The Sharks cornered me the week I moved in. They needed an errand boy to pick up drugs from a drop-off point. My dad was still trying to find work, we were about to be evicted from the apartment, and it was the only way I could pay off the bills..." I wince at the distraught look on Ness's face. "It's not something I'm proud of, Ness."

I expect him to take a wisecrack at it, but Ness exhales, "Shit, Lucas."

"Yeah."

"That's like... You could've gotten shot by the cops."

"I try not to think about it."

Ness grips my hands tighter. "How long?"

"Two years." I crack a small smile. "Then you went on your quest and forced the Sharks to disband. You inspired me to stand up for myself. They left me alone after that."

Still unconvinced, Ness gingerly examines my palms as if making sure they're real. "...you never let me crash at your place. Was this...?"

"Partly," I admit.

Ness's jaw tightens. His brow knits into a thick furrow. "I can't believe it. I never noticed. And your dad... " Ness rubs his forehead in an agitated fashion. "How the fuck did he not figure out?"

"He was out working all the time."

Pale-faced, Ness stares at me, then runs a hand through his unruly black hair. "This is so messed up," he says finally.

I laugh. "I know, me dealing drugs-"

"I'm not talking about that, you idiot, I'm talking about... How did this not fuck you over in school? I mean, I guess it did..." Ness inhales deeply. "I remember you sat inside for recess once, because you had this horrible limp, so I thought that maybe your dad had been-" Ness's eyes widen in horror. "Shit. They  _hit_  you."

We're veering off-topic. I clear my throat. "That's not the point-"

"They did, didn't they?" Ness presses.

"Only if I returned late," I reassure him.

Whatever I said doesn't seem to have made a difference. Ness's eyes turn hard, and he lurches towards the stairwell.

I desperately grab his shoulder. "Ness, hold on-"

"Don't try to stop me," Ness suddenly snarls, whirling back to face me. "They hur-" His voice cracks midway. "They  _hurt_  you." His voice rises even higher. "Goddamnit, Lucas! They practically  _terrorized_  you until you turned into a twitchy little shit, and all you can tell me is  _hold on?!"_

"They didn't turn me into a twitchy little shit," I say, my mouth turning dry. This is exactly the reaction I expected. Ness was well-known for being strongly overprotective over his friends, but I should've known that he wouldn't have taken my exploits well. He cares. He cares too much about other people that they hurt him.

It's not to say that I can't relate to his sensitivity. I do, to an extent. From an early age, I grew up as the crybaby counterpart to my braver twin, and the title quickly stuck. I used to be so easily reduced to tears that I hated myself for it. Crying was shameful. Crying made me feel weak. Eventually, I hit a point in my life when I finally realized that crying didn't solve anything.

I haven't cried since.

The difference is that all his life, Ness has been taught that it's okay to cry, that it's okay to express himself. So he cries unabashedly over what some might consider the most trivial things: The Lion King, Beyonce, Shia Labeouf. This, I don't mind. Ness is readily open with his feelings where I am closed, and Ness is strong where I am weak.

But this is different. Ness sounds even more upset than I do. It's not like the Sharks had forced him to deal drugs, for crying out loud!

When Ness tries to shoulder past me, I pull him back. "Hey, where are you going. It's okay, stop."

"No, it's not okay!" Ness bursts out, clumsily grappling with my arms, but it's ridiculously comical because he's so short.

"Let it go, Ness. I signed up for it," I plead.

Dropping all signs of a struggle, Ness stares at me... then socks me right in the shoulder.

"Ow," I groan, rubbing my sore shoulder. "Is this really necessary."

"God, Lucas," Ness breathes in deeply, then pinches his nose. "Fuck, you can't just... shit. Okay, I'll let it go. Just promise me that you won't do something this stupid again."

"That's a hard promise to make-"

Ness grabs my shoulders and lightly shakes me. _"Promise me_ ,  _Lucas_. I mean it. This shit isn't funny."

Something about the desperate look in his eyes makes me stop. I'm not used to having someone worry over me. I've grown up realizing how much better it is on the long run to keep to myself in fear of bothering others around me. Better a considerate nuisance than a flat-out nuisance.

Then again, Ness isn't the odd someone.

Watching his heavy brow scrunch into a frown, I wonder how I would've reacted if the positions had been reversed. If Ness had been the one to play errand boy. If Ness had been the one to hide behind dumpsters and worry his nails off. If Ness had been the one to curl up and sob and tend to his new injuries whenever he thought that no one was watching. If Ness had been the one to struggle open his front door to strangers who demanded him to play hooky and get the good stuff.

And all of a sudden, it clicks.

Touched by his concern, I clumsily pat him in the shoulder. "Promise."

His arms slump over in relief. "Good." Ness releases his hold on me, then after a brief moment of hesitation, fondly reaches up to ruffle my hair. "Now let's go round up some potheads," he says matter-of-factly, and when I laugh, he shoots me a crooked grin that brightens up the stars in his eyes.

A strange warmth tickles my throat. Suddenly caught by the playful desire to respond in kind, I flick one of his bangs out of his face; with an inward grin, I wait for the hasty recoil, the playful scowl, the trademark complaint of  _oh_ _fuck off_ , but am surprised when Ness does none of the sort.

He's frozen in his tracks.

Taken aback by his unexpected reaction, I slowly stuff my hands into my pockets. "We should wait downstairs," I mumble, embarrassed.

"Okay," Ness whispers in a hoarse voice.

The wait is uneventful. To our luck  _(or lack there-of)_ , no one shows up, but the awkward silence sinking into the snow makes the wait last painfully longer.

Leaning against a broken down ping-pong machine, Ness is eerily quiet. He speaks once, twice, but only to comment on the time. Aside from that, he returns to his statuesque vigil.

Crouched by the door, I turn my head aside and trace the ambiguous shadows that flit and flicker across the window.

A police siren wails past. An owl hoots.

Involuntarily, I find my eyes drawn to the figure by the pool table.

Ness is loud. His thoughts are loud. His body language is loud, and his clothes - bright yellow striped shirts - are loud. Even without talking, even while standing, he brims with confidence. His eyes look alive. His chest rises and falls with each breath he takes. His hair shivers with a silent energy, and I watch it in mild fascination. I never noticed how naturally Ness's dark bangs swept over his forehead; it's a different look from the poofy, capped fashion statement he wears on stage, or the spiky hat-hair he proudly shows off during the day. Something about its messy familiarity tickles my mind.

I decide I like Ness without his hat on.

Fifteen minutes in, Ness breaks the silence. "Let's go home."

All too glad to comply, I hobble back onto my numb feet.

Ness teleports me home. He promises to stop by tomorrow for the subway station, then just as quickly, winks out of existence.

Shuffling awkwardly in place to kill another few seconds, I settle back into my usual routine. Routines are predictable, boring, and safe. I like the security they offer, even if it's an illusion, because routines give me a sense of direction. Drag myself back to my apartment, unlock the door, set up the table. Check on dad. Exchange one-liner about my day. Repeat.

Routines are meant to be kept. They help me focus and fill up the gaps in my life _._

And in one fell swoop, Ness crashed into my monotonous life.

He broke all of my routines. He's a risk-taker at heart with a knack for improv. He did things on the fly, did things in the spur of the moment, did whatever felt  _right_. Something dangerous always seemed to careen his way - every second, every hour - and I'd learned to expect the unexpected.  _Playing safe_  was not a word in Ness's ball court.

Ness was a loud wave of excitement that slammed into my life one morning and never left. He made my life unpredictable, unboring, and unsafe.

And I loved the change.

Mortified, I flatten my face into my book. I've noticed little changes in my own behavior - little changes that I couldn't quite explain. While solitude was gladly welcome and alone time even more so, I couldn't bear to live life the way I'd used to, forever lonely and holed up in my room. I felt bolder. Braver. I wanted to try out new things. Think new things. Take risks that I never would've taken.

Worst of all, I couldn't keep my focus. I couldn't concentrate whenever Ness was around.

This was an all too familiar feeling, but to my frustration, one I couldn't place my finger on.

A hot flush creeps up the back of my neck, and I slowly peel my burning face off from the paper pages. I'm a skinny little fucker, all gangly limbs and unattractive as hell, but Ness somehow makes me feel warm, happy, and flustered at the same time. He makes me feel embarrassingly weak and helpless in a way that no one else has ever done before.

My tea has cooled down. I don't bother re-brewing it and pick up the mug anyway, because cold tea is still tea, and I desperately need something to keep my mind off of all...  _this._  Flicking the tea bag away from the rim, I try to rub away the pleasant tingly sensation of Ness's hair from my fingers, but absentmindedly find myself wanting to touch it longer. Shaking my head to rid myself of the strange urge, I scrunch my eyes up, but find myself drifting off instead to Ness's crooked grin, the mischievous look dancing in his eyes, the gentle dots of warmth every time his fingers press into my skin-

_**I love you.** _

The tea mug drops out of my fingers, but I barely hear it shatter over the roar of my suddenly too-clear thoughts.

Oh, fuck. Shit.

I'm in love.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Frank Fly is an Earthbound boss who DOES eventually reform and works at the local burger shop. He is younger than 21 in-game. After Ness knocked some sense into his brain, I imagine him to have graduated college as a first-gen student, and to have gotten a well-paid internship/full-time job offer at the company of the burger franchise he previously worked in.


	17. I Nearly Blow Up the SkyTrain Sky-high

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar face makes its first appearance.  
> Or rather, the most clever, most charming, and most trouble-making boy...

_**~Prologue~** _

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**Dear Ness,**

**I hope that this letter reaches the right address.  
** **Good luck with N64!**

 **Sincerely,  
** **Lucas**

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**Dear Ness,**

**Tracy keeps asking me if you have a girlfriend. She says that she's** **determined to find you "the right one."** **I think that's her way of saying that she misses you.  
** **You have a cool sister.**

 **Sincerely,  
** **Lucas**

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**Dear Ness,**

**Stop worrying about what everyone else says.** **You dropped seventh grade for N64. There's nothing shameful about prioritizing your life for SMASH. I think it takes true guts to go ahead and do what you want to do. You're good at brawling. You can easily use the extra time to practice.**

 **I got a part-time job at the local library. All I do is sort out books, but the librarian lets me read for as long I want. There's a nice corner by the window where you can spot sparrow eggs in the tree outside. I'll show you next time you come to town** **.**

 **Sincerely,  
** **Lucas**

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**Dear Ness,**

**Mr. Minch is back. He** **keeps raising the interest rates on his loan, and there's nothing we can do, because my dad signed the contract. Mr. Minch says it's because of the "fine print."** **I don't understand what he means. Maybe y** **our father might know. He's a corporate investment banker at Fourside, right?**

 **I think that Mr. Minch is a stout and portly fellow. I like to imagine that he is. He sounds exactly like the corrupt business men in my books.** **But I don't know what Mr. Minch really looks like, because Dad refuses to take me along to his consultant meetings. Dad says it's for adults only. I wish I could go. It can't be as complicated as Dad makes it seem.**

**Dad thinks that Mr. Minch looks familiar. I wonder why.**

**Sincerely,  
** **Lucas**

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**Dear Ness,**

**Boney died.** **He was hit by a car last night.** **I couldn't save him, so Dad had to put him down.**

 ** **Dad** **was busy working, so** **I buried Boney out back in the sunflower field on the outskirts of town.** It was a quiet funeral. ** **Dad said that Boney lived a long life for a dog, but I think he wants me to man up and stop crying.**

**I wish you were here. Boney loved you. You were always good with animals.**

**Ness, when are you coming home?**

**Sincerely,  
** **Lucas**

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**Dear Ness,**

**Today my dad returned early from his consultant meeting. He burst into the apartment and started shouting really loudly for me. I thought I was in big trouble, but when I ran out to see him, dad hugged me then started crying.** **I'm scared. Dad never cries. I think Mr. Minch hurt my dad.**

**Dad wanted me to quit my job at the library. He said that it was too dangerous for me to work late at night.**

**I refused.**

**The next morning I apologized, but dad's ignoring me again. He's acting like nothing happened. Maybe nothing really did happen. Maybe I dreamed everything up. I** **feel stupid for writing this.**

 **Ness, do** **you get weird dreams too?**

 **Sincerely,  
** **Lucas**

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**Dear Ness,**

**I'm getting second thoughts about applying for Brawl. I left the _how many times have you saved the world_  question blank, and my personal statement doesn't fit with the mission statement. ** **These people are looking for fighters. The last time I ran half a mile was P.E. in fifth grade, and I can name at least five celebrity psychics who are applying for the same pool** **. This application season is looking much more competitive than ever. I know that you're trying to encourage me, and I appreciate it, but in all honesty, my chances of even scoring an interview invite are slim.**

**Onto your roommate problem. Popo sounds like an... interesting person. I'm probably not the best person to ask for advice, since I only live with my dad, but it sounds like Popo gets a kick out of annoying you. Don't rise to the bait.**

**Sincerely,  
** **Lucas**

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**Dear Ness,**

**Sure, we can room together. You might regret it though. I'm a messy person, and I stay up late at night.**

**My Brawl invitation finally arrived in the mail. I'm packing as we speak. I've never ridden the SkyTrain before, but Master Hand sent me a map circling the major stops.**

**I can't wait to see you again.**

**Sincerely,  
** **Lucas**

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**Dear Lucas,**

**You remind me a lot of Samus. Remember Samus? She's got blonde hair. She's super tall and scary, but she's really smart like you. I like talking to her. A lot of the guys in the mansion like talking to her too, but I think it's because she's attractive. They try to show off and do stupid things to grab her attention.**

**Popo's a moron. He** **keeps flirting with Samus. I told him to stop, but he only laughed and asked me if I was gay.** **Nana got mad and hit him over the head for that remark.**

 **H** **e's wrong! I'm not gay! I do think Samus is pretty. I just don't want to bother her!**

**Sometimes I think that I'm the only sane man here.**

**I miss you.** **Samus is pretty, but she's not you. I can't believe that she reminded me of you. She's** **nothing like you** **e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶I̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶t̶t̶y̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶.**

 **Sincerely,  
** **Ness**

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~ _ **Chapter 17**_ ~

_**I Nearly Blow Up the SkyTrain Sky-high** _

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* * *

I'm awake.

Of course I'm awake. I'm up reading through a couple of the pen pal letters Lucas sent me forever ago, and pining over each one like a romantic sap.

Lucas writes like a typewriter. His handwriting is light and narrow. His w's are pointed. He crosses his t's in a neat line and dots his i's over the stem. With the way his letters look mass-produced from a Word document, his handwriting is a fucking masterpiece on its own. I lower the letters into my lap. I've forgotten how much  _more_  open Lucas had been to me as a kid. He's always been hush-hush about himself, but puberty has turned him into a lovable, socially-awkward beanstalk the same way it's turned me into a moody mess.

But goddamn. Lucas's letters are so sincere and heartfelt that it makes my chest constrict, because I can  _see_  his bared emotions on paper. Whenever I read his letters, there's a weird, twisty feeling that grows in my gut, and it's the same, twisty feeling I got in third grade when my mom brought us to McDonalds and Lucas's face lit up from the first bite of his cheeseburger. This was after the fifteen minutes Lucas tried to order water, and we had to talk him out of it because water was free and wasn't an actual food on the menu.

I don't think his dad's ever taken him out to eat. His dad doesn't strike me as an expressive person.

Still, the man wears a look on his face that speaks of hardship.

I shift in my seat. Lucas gets uncomfortable talking about his financial situation, but I know that he's in huge debt. Some asshole named Mr. Minch (By this point, I'm convinced that anyone with the surname  _Minch_  is questionably evil) loaned Lucas's dad a large sum of money, and then cranked up the interest sky-high. Basically, it fucked Lucas's whole family over.

As a kid, I think I was pretty oblivious to Lucas's destitute state, but there are signs that only now I realize I've overlooked. Little, but obvious signs. Lucas lives in the dangerous side of town. His dad walks to work. They don't have a car. I remember the way my mom would insist on bringing him more clothes every winter, the extra love she tried to shower on him whenever Lucas was over at our place. I rub the back of my head. Lucas seemed embarrassed to show me his apartment when we accidentally ended up crashing there, but it honestly looks alright. Just a tad cold and cramped in the inside.

His life's getting better. Lucas is a smasher, so he doesn't have to depend on welfare and food stamps anymore. Master Hand pretty much pays for most of our expenses - transportation to and from home, insurance, et cetera - and while Earthbound isn't a hot pick, the payroll for SMASHING is high. The only costs we ever worry about are apartment rent, gas/water/electricity bills, and food.

It's a sweet deal.

From the wages Lucas should be earning and considering how he rarely treats himself out, I'm surprised that he's still in debt. He's either close to paying his debt off, or his debt is  _really_  that bad. But I don't pry, because that would be an insanely dickish move on my part, and while I'm many things, I do try not to be dick, least of all to Lucas. I've grown up taking a lot things for granted, like not working to support my family at ten-years-old.

After fifth grade, Lucas dropped out of school to make money at the local library. For minimum wage, but still, it's a good deal considering that the "legal" age to earn money in Onett is around thirteen. Seriously, it's a much better change from his previous job. I still want to knock some sense into his past self for his stupidity. What was he thinking, working for a street gang to sell joints?

It unnerves me how little Lucas cares about his own welfare. It isn't that he's damn suicidal, but he views his own happiness as secondary to everything else. He grew up believing that he doesn't deserve happiness.

Maybe it's because he's so used to growing up without it. This makes me wonder if Lucas is secretly afraid of happiness, because he's afraid of losing it. Like being happy is almost too good to be true. Remembering how I'd used to complain and ramble about random things to him as a kid, I flush. My letters are probably childish and superficial in comparison.

But of all the letters I've written to Lucas as a pen pal, there's one that I didn't send. At the time of the letter, I was in Melee, penning to Lucas after a practice match.

I stare at the crumpled letter in my hands.

**_...I think you look pretty too._ **

I remember doing a double take at the thought, but the longer my younger self had sat down and stewed over it, the more strongly I'd agreed. Because I  _did_  think that Lucas was pretty. Girls were gross and had cooties, so I thought Lucas looked much prettier than anyone else in our grade. Even Paula. Lucas had pretty eyes. And a pretty face. And a pretty... awkward smile. Whenever he tried to smile, it didn't seem to fit right on his face, like Lucas didn't have much practice smiling, but somehow, his smile made my face grow warm and my nerves do an Irish jig. But reality quickly clonked me on the back of the head, because who even  _said_  that to their best guy friend? I'd bolted half-way out of my seat to toss it into the trashcan, but whatever otherworldly force compelled me to write those words also persuaded me otherwise. I ended up keeping the letter. It lay stuffed inside my shoebox of relics and old letters in my closet at home, and as it sat, collecting dust, I happened to stumble upon it again.

I grip the embarrassing letter tighter in my hands. Lucas had supposedly "crushed" on me during Brawl. Supposedly. If I'd sent this letter... if I'd confessed to him earlier...

The what-ifs are killing me.

_**"Lucas is not from your time. You two are not meant to be."** _

Right. Either way, Master Hand would've gone  _save room for Jesus_  on my ass.

I let the letter flutter onto the floor, and flop face-first into my pillow. It's sometime past midnight, sometime between  _Bullshit O' clock_  and  _boi you gotta sleep_  time, but fuck me, all I can think about are Lucas's stupid fingers.

I raise my own hands to my face. My fingers look stunted, small and insecure like a child's.

Lucas has pretty pianist hands. His fingers are graceful and delicate. His knuckles carefully protrude out in pronounced curves. I like his fingers. I like his knuckles. I like how cool his calloused palms feel after a morning run, I like the hidden sturdiness in his hands. His hands look fragile, but hold a surprising inner strength for his frame. It's like he's gotten a growth spurt for his hands along with his height, because now, his hands are slightly larger than mine.

Back at the arcade his face had been so, so close to mine. I'd felt his warm breath hitting my cheek. And his hands-

I inhale deeply. I'm sensitive. I like to think that I'm a tough person who doesn't give two shits about people, but toss me a crying person, and I'll cave. Like, fuck, if I upset someone, I'd feel so bad that the guilt would  _gnaw_  at me for days on end until I apologized or did something about it. Which - considering my shamefully blunt reputation - happens more than I want to admit.

Lucas is careful. Lucas is matter-of-fact. Lucas likes to say the truth, and only the truth. Failing that, he simply says nothing at all. He only speaks when he's satisfied with reviewing each sentence in his head, so every time Lucas says something, I know that he means it, means every word and every thought. I don't have to tiptoe around him like I do around other people. I can freely speak my mind, and I feel comfortable with it, because while Lucas is smart, it's the kind of smart that doesn't make other people feel stupid. There are times when I overstep it and accidentally hit a sensitive spot, but it doesn't happen often because one, I'm not a jerk, two, I don't do it on purpose, and three, I try not to make the same mistake twice.

I think it's why we get along so well. Both of us are straightforward to each other. The only difference is that I spout out everything on my mind, and Lucas keeps it in.

Lucas's empathy link tickles my chest.

I rub my forehead, and try not to wonder what Lucas is feeling. As grudgingly as my own over-protectiveness admits, Lucas can take care of himself. I'll be there for him if he needs me, and only if he needs me. Lucas doesn't take kindly to pity. Or money. Or charity. Or anything unnecessary, really. Lucas is uncomfortable with receiving things without returning the favor, but he's totally fine with giving things away. He appreciates the little things in life.

This, I respect.

But there's a shameful part of me that  _likes_  it whenever Lucas falters and falls back on me for support: the rare moments Lucas allows himself to be vulnerable around me. It gives me an excuse to reach for his hand. Hold him tighter.

Like the touching. Lucas  _hates_  being touched, and I know for sure that he only gets the least bit physical whenever I start it. Like whenever I tickle his sides and force him to laugh. Or whenever we're roughhousing against the floor like a pair of dorks. Or whenever I'm feeling upset. He'll get all quiet and shuffle over to let me hug him. It's his way of offering comfort. Like Lucas is trying to say,  _Sorry, Ness,_ _I suck at words but I really do feel for you_ _._

My heart flutters at the thought.

With a frustrated groan, I stuff my face into my pillow. I'm glad that we snuck out to the Arcade in the dead of night, because I'd noticed the way Lucas was plain, flat-out  _staring_  at me. Like he was seeing me for the first time.

Or maybe he was seeing through me.

Shit, am I that obvious? I know that my emotions show up on my face, but I didn't think I was that obvious! Oh damn it fuck he's onto me. I hide under my blanket fortress like the measly layers can save me from Lucas's sharp perception.

I have to act normal. I can't risk Lucas realizing that my feelings for him  _weren't_  an accident, not to mention how horribly embarrassing it'd be if Lucas figured out that I'm  _still_  not over him. In all honesty, Lucas is patient; he wouldn't mind, and I know that he wouldn't so long as I don't stupidly pull another move on him, but Jesus, I had to save  _some_  pride.

I nervously tug on my hair. It's funny, because I like attention. Or rather, attention doesn't bother me. I used to care about other people's opinions too much for my own good, but I like to think that I've mostly grown out of that phase. Mostly. So it stands that I don't mind people staring and people talking and people watching, because they blend into the background.

But attention from Lucas is different.

Lucas has always been different.

So I try not to think about how his spine juts out in a smooth curve. I try not to think about the way his bony shoulderblades peek out of his back like lasting relics of wings. I try not to think back to the arcade - _over how my touch returned and infused the calm into his panic-stricken eyes_  - and I try not to think over the way his shoulders relaxed from a tense line-

I collapse onto my back, and the mattress squeaks in protest. I'm determined. It's an integral part of my character. Like in Brawl, the battle's not over until it's over. No matter how the hard the quest seems, I do it.

But now, I have to learn how to give up.

And I don't know how.

Jamming the lights off, I pull my pillow over my head and brace myself for a long night.

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~oO0Oo~

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Six-thirty in the morning comes all too soon, and before I know it, I'm standing on the front porch with a bag bulging with necessities and well-meaning farewells. Tracy's dressed in her highschool school uniform, her blonde hair tucked in twin pigtails and pink bows, and Mom's ready for work with her car keys in hand.

Mom pats my bag. "Do you have your SkyTrain ticket?"

"Yeah!"

"Laptop?"

 _"_ I got it right here."

"Oh, and your extra underwear-"

_"Mom!"_

Mom wraps me in a hug. "All right, sweetie. No more teasing."

Much to my eternal embarrassment, Tracy bursts out into uncontrollable giggles beside her. "Yeah, mom. He's a big boy now."

"Nerd," I grumble.

"Plebian," Tracy says.

"Enough of that, you two," Mom says, reaching for my face. "Now, Nessie-" Tracy snickers at the term of endearment, so I elbow her. "-don't elbow your sister. This year, we've decided book two SkyTrain tickets to Smash City after the Winter Championships."

"Why?" I say surprised. "I thought I was coming home."

"Since you always travel home for the holidays, I thought it'd be nice for us to spend New Years elsewhere for a change. I hear that the fireworks in Smash City are a sight worth seeing. We booked a hotel close by," Mom says warmly. "You're always so tired after the Championships... You'll be pooped! And-" My mom looks horrified. " _Did you comb your hair this morning?"_

I sheepishly rub the back of my neck. "I forgot."

"Ai, ai, it's so messy! How can you attract the girls if you look like you've rolled out of bed? I bet even the boys run away from you!"

"Mo-om," I moan.

Easily ignoring me, Mom busily fusses over my hair. "Look at this!" she says appalled, picking up one of my stray bangs. "Boys these days, think this looks  _hip_  and  _cool._  Hah! You look like a hobo!" She pats my hair over my forehead, smoothing it out, then gives me an approving look. "There, now you look handsome."

"As close to handsome as he'll ever get," Tracy snarks.

 _Oh, shut up_  is what I want to grumble to her, but with mom here, it's a no-go.

So I resist the urge and grudgingly turn to my sister. "Hey," I say, and she looks up. "Good luck with finals."

Tracy gives into a small smile. "Good luck with the Championships."

"Take care of mom while I'm gone."

"You know I will." Tracy eyes me with a strange expression on her face. Suddenly she breaks out, "It kind of sucks that you have to miss Christmas every year."

I give a helpless grimace. "I don't mean to. The Championships start on the 20th, closing ceremony's on Christmas Eve, and then everyone has to attend the Christmas dinner with the head sponsors-"

"Yeah, I know, I know. It's just-" She bites down on her lip. "Weird. Not having you home."

Little sisters are so strange. One minute, they're pretending that they hate your guts, and the next thing you know, they're spouting out something so gooey and sentimental that you can't help but melt into a helpless puddle of  _awww_  because they're  _little siblings_. Seriously, how do they  _do_  that? It's not fair at all.

Still, the plaintive tone in her words is touching. This is the closest I'll probably get to an "I love you" from my little sister. Maybe. For once, for her, I try the cheesy route.

"I love you too," I say.

Tracy scrunches up her nose. "Don't be gross."

...Why did I expect anything different?

Mom steps forward. "We'll be coming over this time, so we can all spend Christmas morning together as a family. And remember to be nice to Lucas," she adds sternly, but her eyes soften. "Tell him that he's welcome to watch the New Years fireworks with us."

"I will."

My mom kisses my forehead with a smile. "I know you will. Good luck on the Championships. Make us proud."

With a last hug, I step off the porch and teleport away.

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~oO0Oo~

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I climb the stairs two at a time. I'm not looking where I'm going, and it's about to bite me in the ass because I accidentally bump straight into someone walking down the stairs. The newspaper smacks out of his hands and rolls onto the floor to reveal the headlines,  _ **NESS AMIIBOS SOLD OUT IN RECORD TIME.**_ Apologetically, I scramble down to pick it up.

"Sorry-" I manage to get out before my voice dies on me completely.

The person I've bumped into has huge, thick-set shoulders like a lumberjack. His bearded face looks oddly familiar, and just as I reach that friendly conclusion, his silhouette towers over me. A very large silhouette in the shape of a big, burly man. Terrified, my eyes trail up the broad shoulders to the familiar cowboy hat tipped over his face.

It's Chuck Norris. And he's frowning.

Under Daddy Bear's bushy scrutiny, I suddenly become very aware of how short I am.

It doesn't help that Chuck Norris is also giving me the scumbag look, as if he's saying,  _I know you want a piece of my son, stupid boy_. Both humbled and intimidated by his manly vibes, I bravely stand ground and resist the urge to run away screaming like a pansy. At least I know now where Lucas gets his cold, sub-zero degree temper.

"Thanks for letting me stay over last Friday," I say as politely as I can, hoping that I can at least win over a few brownie points.

Chuck Norris remains unfazed. "What's your name?" he says suddenly.

"Ness. Sir," I add respectfully, feeling that an honorific is appropriate for the situation. I don't want to ruin this one shot at gaining a better reputation with Lucas's dad - and I really, _really_  want him to have a good impression of me - but seeing as he's kinda witnessed me trying to kidnap his son, it's probably a lost cause.

Chuck Norris responds with a deep grunt.

This confuses me. Is it an approving grunt? An unhappy grunt? An  _I-want-to-pulverize-your-guts_  grunt? I'm undergoing such a major melt-down that I almost miss his next words.

"Thank you for looking out for my son," he finally says.

That response came right out-of-the-blue. It's the definition of unexpected at its finest.

Sheepishly, I scratch the back of my neck. "Oh, uh... no problem. Lucas looks after himself. I just do stuff... on the side..."

The man doesn't even blink. My hands start sweating profusely. God, I'm so afraid that this bear of a man is going to go all macho on me and toss my flailing form to the sharks. It's like meeting the in-laws for the first time... except that Lucas and I aren't even  _dating._  In rising trepidation, I wait for Lucas's dad to resume conversation, but he doesn't.

How is Lucas able to live like this? No wonder Lucas can understand Red so well. Red is like the teenage version of Lucas's dad. Red, the teenage dad. God, that sounds so wrong.

"My son talks about you."

I jolt up. The way Chuck Norris suddenly speaks between silences like it's nothing  _unnerves_  me. My house is never quiet. It's always loud, with me bickering with my little sister, my hot-headed mom telling both of us off, and my dog barking constantly. Things especially got hectic during meal time. I think of Lucas and his father sitting together for dinner. If they even do. Either way, I can't imagine much talk going around. Hell, I can't even  _imagine_  this man hugging his son. Small wonder Lucas is emotionally-stunted. If given the chance, Lucas can stare people down like it's nothing, but try to hug him and he will  _nope_  the heck out of there.

I laugh nervously. "I hope it's all in good spirit," I joke, but Lucas's dad doesn't respond. His brown eyes pierce through me, and their sharp scrutiny is startlingly similar to his son's. An uncomfortable silence spreads between us.

This man is quite the stoic.

Also, Lucas  _talks_  about me? Since when?

"You're a good kid." Chuck Norris extends his right hand. "The name's Flint."

Taken aback by his sudden praise, I grab his hand and stammer, "I-I'll try not to be a bad influence on your son, Mr. Flint."

The first thing that occurs to me is that Flint's hand feels nothing like Lucas's. If Lucas's grip is careful and hesitant, Flint's is huge, heavy, and dangerous _._  In fact, Flint's fist swallows up my own fingers whole, crushing them like a muscular clamp of death, and something about the knowing look in his eyes screams  _challenge._  I've had plenty of practice greeting people though, so when I return the favor with a decently firm handshake, I hope that my grip, while not as devastatingly brutal, does not disappoint him.

Flint surveys me, then releases my hand. "Good luck on the Championships, Ness," is all he says.

Flustering unexpectedly, I awkwardly push past him with a meek  _goodbye._  In that brief instance, I catch Flint returning to his plight down the stairs, his head buried in his newspaper, a hint of a smile twitching on the corner of his lips.

When Lucas answers the door to his apartment, I almost cry with relief. He's tall, so, so tall, but thank the gods he's a skinny toothpick. My relief is so immense that I want to hug him in the spot - but I don't. Instead, I give Lucas a weak word of thanks and hobble inside his apartment, my knees shaking like we've been hit by a magnitude eight earthquake.

Lucas's eyes roam over my disheveled state. His forehead creases with a slight frown. "What happened to you."

I raise a trembling hand to salute the lord. "Give me a fucking minute. I'm officially traumatized by your dad."

Realization laces his tone. "He passed you on the way down."

"Yeah."

"What did he say to you?" Lucas says sharply, and I'm surprised by the sudden concern in his tone.

I lift my head. "Nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing to me."

"Really, nothing happened," I moan. "He's like the definition of intimidating. I've never been more afraid of Chuck Norris in my entire life."

Of course, Lucas breaks into an amused smirk. "You thought my dad was Chuck Norris?"

"Maybe...? The resemblance is uncanny." Embarrassed, I pull the brim of my cap over my head. "Are you packed? We'd better get going."

Lucas nods in assent, but the stupid smirk doesn't leave his face. Ass. He locks the apartment, double checking the bolt, then slings on his duffel bag. He's looking the other way when I grab his hand, and when Lucas flinches, his fingers suddenly tensing up for a second before relaxing, I can't help but feel relieved that his hand feels  _nothing_  like his father's.

We skid into the atrium of the SkyTrain station. The overhead speaker turns on with an electronic chime, and a cool woman's voice echoes on repeat over the marble platforms and the chatter of a thousand different languages.

**"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please. SkyTrain One-two-one-five on Platform Five to... Dream Land... will be departing in ten minutes. Thank you, and have a safe flight."**

People bustle past us with briefcases and luggage bags in tow. Ducking out of their way, I flock over to the large-scale map proudly glowing with the company logo -  **SkyTrain: Our Service is Out of This World!**  - and squint at the flight board up ahead. "Lucas, what's our platform number?"

Lucas checks the ticket on his phone. "Platform Two. SkyTrain to Smash City."

I glance at his ticket and brighten up. "Hey, you got seat C42. I'm in seat 43!"

"Makes sense. Master Hand bought the tickets this time round."

"He should've paid for your trip to Onett."

"My L.O.A. was last minute, so the trains to Onett were all full. I was lucky to squeeze into a flight with a Last-Minute Pass."

I back-track. "You were  _standing_  the entire flight to Onett? The trip would've taken hours," I say in disbelief.

"It's okay. Master Hand promised to reimburse me for the ticket, so I didn't mind."

"Still, Last-Minute Passes suck. I don't know you managed to stand for that long." We stroll over to Platform Two, passing a flashy display of a Victoria's Secret and the glowing lights of a Duty Free. I glance at my watch. "We've got an hour to kill. Wanna explore?"

Lucas's eyes rest on a shelve of books advertised across the forum. No doubt he wants to browse a book. Classic nerd.

But all jesting aside, I don't say that to his face, because Lucas is oddly self-conscious when it comes to hobbies like reading, or studying, or anything academic. I don't see why he should be. His mental endurance is envious really, because I have zero patience for reading at all. Just the mere thought of forcing myself to sit still and read for _HOURS_  makes me shudder on end.

I nudge Lucas in the side. "Let's check out the bookstore."

Lucas swallows. His eyes quickly flicker away. "We'll spend too long there-"

"Man, for some reason, I  _really_  wanna check out that bookstore," I declare, and drag him over by the shirt.

"Ness," Lucas tries, trying to extricate his shirt from my fist. "It'll be boring-"

"They have Marvel comics," I point out, and that shuts him up real quick. It's true - I  _love_  DC and Marvel - and Lucas knows it; my closet back home is stacked to the roof with regaling tales of Batman and Superman.

Lucas is hesitating, so I speak up, "Seriously, Lucas. Take as much time as you want. We're literally stuck here for sixty minutes."

This finally convinces him. Lucas returns my grin with a sheepish smile. "Okay."

Aw fuck he's too cute.

And too awfully dense.

I cough loudly and quickly pull the brim of my cap to hide my burning face. While I'm in the middle of my  _crush-not-crush_  freak-out, Lucas's attention has rested on another store rounding the corner. It's bustling to the brim with people, mostly teenage girls, but his eyes lighten up at the sight. "Hey, I think there's a clearance sale on books over there."

"Where?" I say dumbly, whirling around. Instantly, my eyes are assaulted by the most horrifying mother of all words: Gift Store.

...

OH MY GOD.

IT'S THE SAME FUCKING  _ **GIFT STORE**_.

"Nooo, not there," I say quickly. Desperate to save his innocence, I try to tug Lucas away, but he doesn't budge an inch.

Lucas furrows his brow. "Why-"

I fist his shirt as if his very life was at stake.  _"Please,_  Lucas," I beg. "You'll thank me later."

Oh no, he's turning curious. Lucas spares a longing glance at the books, but  _shit,_  he can't get close, I'm not letting him get any closer, because I know  _exactly_  what those "books" on sale really are, and it's obvious, judging from the familiar, colorful covers that flash revoltingly in the display. We might be at a different train station today, but oh shit oh god why, I  _definitely_  recognize that store owner.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to read," Lucas reassures me, and oh fuck, I'm losing, he's prying his shirt out of my hands-

"F-F-Fire!" I stammer. Lucas throws me a questioning look, and I blurt out the first thing on my mind. "The... The owner hates me, because I almost burned his store down! Accidentally! I can't let him see you! He might think I sent you to finish off the job!"

For a nerve-racking second, I'm  _terrified_  that he's going to brush off my stupid excuse.

Then Lucas's frown deepens. "Why... did you try to burn down the gift store."

"No reason," I laugh nervously, and scrambling at anything to distract him, I point back at the bookstore. "Hey, doesn't that look WAY MORE APPEALING than a crappy gift store?"

"I guess it does..."

"Exactly! I bet the bookstore has cooler books." I give him a light push in the back - FAR FAR AWAY from the gift store. "And - are those  _rabid shippers?_  Yeah, let's get out of their way."

Lucas doesn't look convinced one-hundred percent, but when he shrugs and stumbles into the  _Best-Seller_  aisle of the bookstore, I want to cry tears of relief. Bless him, he's still a pushover. When Lucas picks up a book -  _Perks of Being a Wallflower_  - and sits down in an armchair to read, I pretend to browse books by the open door. Lucas likes to read, and while I hate reading, I'm not going to ruin this happy moment for him.

The precious Sunflower Child must be protected at all costs.

So I end up keeping a close eye on the rabid shippers by the gift store.

It's ten minutes before our flight when I - reluctantly - duck back inside for Lucas. He looks so comfortable, quietly sitting in the corner with his book that I feel bad for interrupting him, but Lucas closes his book before I can speak up.

"Time to leave," he says.

"Yeah."

I wait until Lucas replaces the book, then we set out together for Platform Two. Unlike my last ride to Onett, this SkyTrain must be  _packed,_  because the train attendant is checking tickets at the gate. Holy fuck, they're even doing a security check. They've definitely upgraded the policy, and I want to kick myself for not reading this up.

**"Welcome to the SkyTrain. Please stand behind the yellow line."**

A train pulls into Platform Two. Oh double fuck, our ride's already here. There's a five-minute intermission between stops, but still, it'll suck massively if we miss the train.

I exchange a worried glance with Lucas.

Despite the time crunch, we pass through successfully (Lucas snorts behind his hand when I forget to take off my belt and set off metal detector) and duck into the SkyTrain. It's my turn to laugh when Lucas bumps his head against the low-hanging ceiling near the entrance of the carriage, and rubbing his head, he cracks me a sheepish smile at his own misfortune.

Thankfully, we find our seats without incident.

It's clear that the SkyTrain's got their act together. There are now blinds installed over the windows, so we don't have to close our eyes whenever the train dives into an interdimensional portal, and the interior of the cabin glows with a warm light.

The luggage carrier, unfortunately, is  _still_  too high for me.

"I got it," Lucas says when I start struggling with my stupid height. Grateful that I no longer have to hop around like an idiot, I toss him my bag, and Lucas catches it before sliding it overhead in one fluid motion. He fumbles with the latch though, and I don't blame him because the compartment is stuffed to the brim.

I've just slid my ass into the window seat when the speakers turn on.

**"Good morning. This is the SkyTrain Six-One-Two departing to... Smash City. Our next destination... Outset Island."**

With a puff of smoke and a loud whistle, the train pulls away from the station.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

We start off the time with card games. It's a good idea until a particularly intense round of Slap Jack leaves both of our hands smarting and red. I stop when Lucas murmurs that the other travelers probably want to sleep, and agreeing, I tilt the brim of my cap over my face for a nap.

I'm shaken out of my short-term doze from the cool voice of the speakers.

**"Please close the blinds. Now approaching... Smash City."**

The blinds pulsate with a dull flash.

"Lucas," I mutter, poking him in the neck. "Wake up."

He blinks groggily. "Are we here?"

"I think so."

**"Prepare for landing. Please hold onto the nearest-"**

There's a horrible crackle of static, and the announcements fizzle out into an ominous silence. Everyone around us starts muttering around in confusion. Talk about eerie.

"What's going on," Lucas says warily.

"I don't know." I crack open the blinds. Did we pass the interdimensional portal - yep, we did. Blue sky outside. My eyes would've been nicely blinded otherwise. "I think we've stopped."

Sure enough, the train's hovering in place.

Lucas looks over my shoulder. "Maybe the announcements are-" The overhead speakers come alive. "-oh good."

But the gleeful rasp that kills my ears sounds  _nothing_  like the cool woman's chime. **"Enjoying the ride to Smash City? But oho, what's this? The power seems to be running low. And that's not all - I've planted a bomb in the cockpit!"**

Lucas stiffens up in his seat. "Is that-"

I suddenly sit up. "Porky."

The alarmed babble of the passengers rises in volume.

 **"That's right, folks. This train's about to explode in ten minutes! Oh, and I'd like to make a special shout out to my friends in C42 and C43. Ness and Lucas? Yeah, you guys are sissies!"** The speakers cackle again.  **"** **Haha, see if you can save the day now! Bomb Voyage! Spankety, spankety, spankety!"**

"There are people on board, you bastard!" I scream, but Pokey's voice has already fizzled out.

The lights flicker out. With a slow groan, the train begins to tilt starboard into a cloud.

Then the power dies completely.

We're falling.

People start to scream. Lurching into my foldable table, I curse and leap into the aisle. "Nobody move!" I yell. Thankfully, as I calm people down, Lucas is already two steps ahead.

"We have to reach the cockpit," He says, stumbling as the floor lurches to the side.

An old lady topples out of her seat, but the train is tilting so that she body-slams me. "Lucas, you go on ahead," I groan, helping the old lady up into another seat. "I'll call for backup."

Lucas nods and whips around. I hear the compartment doors  _zing_  open, and I know that he's on his way to the front of the train.

As soon as the old lady reassures me that she's okay, that she's all right and can walk on her own  _oh thank you young whippersnapper,_  I'm shooting through the aisle, shouting at people to stay in their seats and cover their damn heads. Occasionally, someone pitches into me, but I'm fast enough to catch them before they flatten me into a blueberry pancake.

Tearing through compartment after compartment, I fumble for my phone and call headquarters. At the second ring, whoever's in the Mansion picks up, and I rattle off, "Hello, hi? This is Ness-"

**"wRONG nUMbEr! tHIs IS pApA jOHN'S pIZzA! wHaT wOUlD yOU liKe tO oRDeR?"**

Oh my god, we're screwed.

I try to explain anyway. "Crazy, Porky rigged a nuke on the SkyTrain and-"

**"wHO tHE WHAta? wHOOpSIE DaiSY, i drOPPeD tHe PhONE!"**

Fuck my life. "Mr. Hand!" I scream into the receiver. "Send help, SOS!"

 **"dEATh aND dESTRucTION?! oOOh, wHer- hEYY!** " There's the sound of a yelp as the phone is snatched away, and someone else's voice filters in. "Sorry. This is Samus, reading in."

"Samus! This is Ness, I'm with Lucas, and we're about to die!"

"I'll be there in five." The phone clicks dead.

Fucking finally.

Colors blur past the window: blue, white, orange. When I wedge myself between a couple and squeeze out of the 1st class compartment, something hits me solidly in the shin. Swearing loudly, I hop on my free foot before ruefully glancing at the perpetrator. It's an arm. A robotic arm that's been ripped out of an android.

In fact, the entire aisle's littered with feebly-flickering androids as if someone - a.k.a. Lucas - has demolished his way through a mass-produced army of toy robots. The wind-up toys are identical to each other in every way, from the blaring red siren right down to the chipped blond hair painted on their heads.

Porky Bots.

"Lucas!" I frantically twist the knob on the automatic captain's cockpit, but it's locked shut. The train's done a nosedive. I can hear confused yells of bodies thudding against the compartment doors. "Lucas? Are in you in there?! FUCK!" Out of desperation, I slam myself against the cockpit. The door yields, bursting open. There's a loud crackling sound of ozone snapping and popping, and I snap my head up because I smell smoke.

Something's burning.

Lucas.

Electricity courses through his skin in a horrifying lightshow, and I stumble over screaming his name _._

"Stop screaming, I'm okay," Lucas says, albeit a little hoarsely. Sparks of his magic ferociously tear across the windshield, and when I glance in his direction, I notice that Lucas's eyes are flaring up so bright blue that I can't see his pupils. On a closer look, I realize that Lucas is trying to start up the machine with PK Thunder, and that he's  _not_  being horribly electrocuted to death.

I exhale in relief.

Lucas gives a violent shudder. There's a sudden jerk in my navel as the train slows its descent, and the power flickers back on with a hum of machinery. Outside, I can see the city spread wide beneath us in a sea of buildings.

"Ness," he rasps. "I've got the train. Dismantle the bomb."

I tear my eyes away from the window to the explosive at Lucas's feet. It's a bomb all right: a big fat bomb in all its big fat glory. How the hell it got past TSA, I have no idea.

I'm making my way across to Lucas when the broken-down door to the cockpit blasts apart. I cough, shielding my eyes from the debris when a hard, metallic fist collides into my stomach.

I collapse onto my knees. "Urk, I'm gonna feel that in the morning."

Whirring and clicking, the Porky Bots emerge from the smoking entrance. I hear the screams of the people on board, and spot more bots drop down from the overhead luggage carriers. Great. More stupid bots.

Opening their arms in an embrace, each one waddles over to me and chirps in a tinny mechanical voice, " **Let's be friends, Ness."**

I spare a quick glance at the ticking bomb.

Four minutes.

Yeah, that's plenty of time.

I crack my knuckles. Before the Porky Bots have taken a single step forward, the yo-yo whizzes out of my hands. Hot adrenaline tints my vision red. I slash my way through the crowd, weaving through into the battle fray like it's raining nuts and bolts. One robot with a shattered siren put-puts around in a broken  _merry-go-around_  circle before tripping over itself. The fallen bot unsteadily pushes itself up and drags itself towards Lucas, ready to sink its sharp fingers into his ankles, but I step on its head and crush it for good measure. When I lower my fist and step back, my shoes are slippery and slimy from black machine oil. I wipe my hands on my sleeves. Great, now my shirt is soaked with the icky stuff.

The train lurches again. Lucas is slipping.

"One minute," he says weakly, sweat dripping from his face.

"Don't worry, I got it." I crouch over by the bomb and hug it. "PK Magne-"

A fist punches through the glass window. The arm retracts itself, and when we look up, Samus Aran lands perfectly inside the cockpit, feet-first. "Looks like you boys got it all taken care of," she says, raising her eyebrows at me.

I jolt up. "How-"

Her hot-air balloon ride floats in. "Kirby!" Kirby chirps.

Pikachu shakes himself out of Samus's hair. "(We tracked your phone, dumbass.)" He observes Lucas shaking by the console. "(Boy, he doesn't look too good.)"

Pikachu has had a bad history with Pokemon trainers. He distrusts humans, and as far as I know, everyone except for Red and Samus are on his blacklist. Normally, I'd be a little more patient with his attitude, but seeing as Lucas looks like he's about to keel over, I don't have time for Pikachu's bogus.

"Are you gonna help us out or what?" I snap.

"(Ugh. Don't get your knickers in a twist.)" Pikachu hops down and scurries over to the dashboard. "(Hey, kid, scoot over.)" He charges up the machine, and as Lucas slumps over in relief, Samus takes control of the cockpit to steer us down.

She flicks on the intercom.  **"Standby, this is your acting-Captain Samus speaking. All threats have been neutralized. The train will arrive on time. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing."**

Pouting, Kirby waddles over to me and reaches for the bomb. "Kir-by!"

I lift the bomb up. "Yeah, buddy. It's all yours."

Satisfied by my response, Kirby opens his mouth wide. With a  _zoomph_ , the bomb is sucked straight into his mouth, and Kirby swallows it whole. I'd say the gesture almost looks cute, except I've been in that mouth before, and trust me, it's  _not_  cute.

My legs turn to jelly. I stand up and wobble across the cockpit. Breathing heavily, Lucas slumps against the wall. His eyes are no longer glowing with magic, which makes me a little sad because they make him look super badass, but he's still plenty badass without the glowy eyes.

I crouch next to him. "Hey."

"Never again," is all he says.

I clap a hand on his shoulder with a big fat grin. "We were never in danger of dying," I offer.

"The people on-board were." Lucas breathes out, and his eyes flutter shut. A few strands of sweaty hair stick to his forehead. "Remind me, why does Porky want to kill us?"

"Because he hates my guts, and therefore, hates you by association."

"He hasn't attacked us since Subspace."

"Beats me. Well, now that you bring it up..." I frown and scratch the back of my neck. "Pokey used to be my next door neighbor."

Lucas's eyes flicker to my face. It's his cue for  _go on._

I scuff my wet shoe against the tiles. They make a nasty squeaking sound. "Back as a kid, Porky kept insisting that we were friends. We were... but after a point, I didn't feel like we were friends. He kinda scared me to be honest," I admit. "Whenever we hung out, he wanted to do shitty things just to make other people feel bad. Like throwing rocks at cars. Porky was a bratty attention hog, especially when he kept popping up to interfere with my quest, but-" I swallow down the lump in my throat. "Turns out, he just wanted attention because his parents were abusive. His dad was a racist, homophobic lump of lard who used to beat him, and his mom was a bonefied class A bitch, and I didn't find out until-"

"It's not your fault," Lucas mutters.

"I chickened out, I could've helped him-"

Lucas's eyes shift away from my face. "Ness, you can try as hard as you want... but in the end, some people are beyond help."

While there's a hard truth that rings in Lucas's words, it hurts to admit it.

"I think you can help anyone if you try," I say stubbornly.

"And we've achieved world peace," he shoots back. "You tried, Ness. It's more than anyone else can say. So stop thinking that Porky is your fault."

Sometimes, I wonder if Lucas is secretly a tired 80-year-old man in a child's body. He knows things that we shouldn't know at our age. He says things that make you think twice. He turns up Imagine Dragons in his headphones whenever he's somber and listens to Bohemian Rhapsody like it's about to go out of style.

But then I think about how he forgets to tie his shoelaces in the morning or how he flusters like a tomato whenever he bumps his head against a doorframe, and I snort. Yeah, I take that back. He's still an awkward dork.

Yet, somehow, Lucas has done the unthinkable. The thought of Pokey doesn't completely quench my guilt, but Lucas's words have lightened the load on my chest. Grinning back in spite of myself, I ruffle his sweaty hair. Lucas's arms bump against my side, and when I look at him, I realize that he's trembling from exertion. I wonder how many Porky Bots he's fought to reach the cockpit. A fair amount, it seems, from the looks of it. Add  _firing up a train_  to that list, and Lucas is seriously badass. He's really pulled through this time.

Wordlessly, I reach for his hands.

Lucas gets the gist. A pale blue light washes over his palms before a PK magnet hovers at the tips of his fingers, flickering and and dying like a candle. As I graze the back of his hands, some blue sparks escape from his fingers and happily dance across my own skin.

"PK Fire," I say, and watch, mesmerized, as my PSI shimmers and sinks into the magical fluff of humming energy. As the glow of his PK Magnet dies into a wisp, I see that Lucas's skin has returned to its pale, sour color.

"You too," he says softly, and when he heals my bruises, I want to cry of relief.

After a sufficient amount of time, I let my PK Magnet fade and watch the purple light wink out of sight. Expecting Lucas to do the same, I wait for him to let go, but he's still staring at my hands, and - oh. I forgot that they're all slick and gross and slimy.

My grin widens, and I slap an oil-dripping hand onto his forehead. "It."

This results in a messy scuffle of tag that ends with Lucas's hair looking more black than yellow and webs of slippery film stuck underneath my fingernails.

Samus's  _Behave yourselves_  breaks into the silence.

"We're alive," I point out, still grinning stupidly.

"Touche," Samus says.

"Actually-" Lucas starts, standing up.

Samus glare shoots him back down. "Lucas, sit down. I'm driving."

"But-"

_"Sit down."_

Lucas obeys. He's still a sissy at heart, bless him.

I cheerfully clap him in the back. "You're such a pushover."

Lucas heaves a low groan before drawing his legs up. I snort, trying my best to keep in the giggles, but they still manage to escape between my fingers. An embarrassed flush crawls up the back of Lucas's neck, and he ducks his head to hide his red face in the safety of his knees.

"Stop laughing at me," his muffled voice escapes.

I grin wider. "You are a  _total_  pushover-"

"Samus is driving."

Suddenly I picture a grown-up Tracy, and am so very glad that I do not have an older sister.

Lucas is still wilting over in his little corner, so I prod him with a finger. "Lucas, stop sulking." When Lucas draws his knees up tighter, I poke him in the ribs. This time, he recoils and uncurls slightly. Ticklish? Most definitely.

"You need to stand up for yourself," I say solemnly. "Now repeat after me:  _Samus is a fun-sucking vampire._ "

"Well, this  _fun-sucking vampire_  isn't going to rain on your parade, because Master Hand's here," Samus says, snapping the train into gear. "Now go sit in the corner with Lucas. We're about to land."

I sulk and join the Corner Crew. Lucas pats me in the back. His voice pokes into my head.  _You asked for it._

 _I know,_  I say gloomily.

Samus steers us into the subway tunnel. It's a smooth touch-down. To my delight, Samus even lets me finish off the announcements, and a happy, fuzzy feeling fills up my chest when I can hear the people on board cheer over the intercom. I can't imagine how scared they must've been. What had happened between me and Porky was a private matter, and these passengers had been unfairly dragged into it.

But what frightens me more is the trust these citizens invest in us. They believe that we can save them until the very last minute.

And I'm afraid of letting them down.

Something gently brushes against my hand. Lucas stares fixedly at the floor, and when he awkwardly fumbles for my hand a second time, loosely interlacing our fingers together, his reassurance returns my confidence. The noise level spikes up as the crowd outside surrounds the SkyTrain. I can hear their muffled voices through the walls, and I know that Lucas can too, because he's hunching his shoulders together, shrinking behind me as if trying to make himself smaller.

Then the doors to the cockpit slide open. Pikachu scampers past us. Lucas shuffles even closer to me that our arms are practically pressed together, blocking our barely-linked hands from view. Taking a deep breath, I follow Samus and Kirby out of the cockpit.

The first thing to greet us is the sound of a hundred claps. Whistling and hooting and cheering. Plastering on a winning smile, I try to keep brave, nodding at every praise and compliment thrown my way.

I have to stay strong. No matter how scared I feel.

Amidst the cover of mindless chaos, Lucas quietly slips one of my gross, oily hands into his jacket pocket. He doesn't let go, and I'm glad when he doesn't. Lucas keeps me grounded. Lucas keeps me sane.

I squeeze his hand back.

Wading through the crowd of well-wishers and autographs, a horde of bodyguards protectively escort us towards a sleek black limo in the parking lot. One of the bodyguards hands us our bags - which I've totally forgotten from the train - and another taps the limo with the back of his knuckles.

The window peels down.

"Welcome back to Smash City," Master Hand says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for putting up with constant edits! And the filler with the parents. I like writing about families, and believe that they play an essential role in shaping the psychology of the main characters.
> 
> *L.O.A. = Leave of Absence
> 
> *In America, the job of a librarian requires heavy use of interpersonal skills, but at Lucas's age of hire (~10), I like to imagine that the librarian didn't want to go too hard on him. Hence sorting out books and letting him read.
> 
> *Where da heck is Claus is he ded
> 
> *Where da heck is the Mother 3 cartridge is dat ded too
> 
> *Snarky Pikachu gives me life
> 
> *Oh boy it won't be the last time Ness will see those yaoi doujins I̶'̶m̶ ̶s̶o̶r̶r̶y̶
> 
> *Winter Championships coming up! 58 characters on this roster unless I didn't math right (Brawl+Sm4sh: counting Zelda and Sheik as one person, Samus and Zero-suit as one, two Corrins, two Robins, One of the villagers (chosen of many), one of the koopalings (chosen of many), etc). I'll get to generating dat 29-team single-elimination bracket woo
> 
> *Boney is Lucas's pet dog and party member in Mother 3.
> 
> *Porky Bots are enemies fought in Mother 3.
> 
> As for whether or not the parents ship it... who knows? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	18. Everybody Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two dorks come to a resolve.

_**~Prologue~** _

"You're leaving today."

It's not a question.

I nod mechanically. "Ness is teleporting me to the SkyTrain station."

Dad closes his newspaper. There's something dangerously cautious about his tone, the same kind of tone that signals a calm before a storm. Whatever he's thinking, he doesn't sound too pleased. "This... Ness. He likes hugging you."

"He hugs everyone." Mostly untrue, but my dad wouldn't know that.

"You let him hug you."

"He's my best friend."

Dad's voice turns gruff. "He likes guys."

"And there's nothing wrong with that," I say quietly, and Dad's eyes rake over my face as if trying to figure me out. I wonder if he's suspecting something. I wonder if he knows. Either way, he should know better than to underestimate Ness as a Smasher. He's more than qualified for the position.

To my relief, Dad grunts and drops the subject. "I'm glad that we don't have to worry about all that family drama under this roof. Your brother was straight. Best to stay that way."

I stay silent. Considering that Claus has made some poor-ass life choices like running away from home as a kid and probably getting his throat slit in a dark alley somewhere, I'm not sure if that's a justifiable reasoning for his hypothetical sexual orientation.

But in my father's eyes, Claus could do no wrong. Claus was brave. Claus was smart. Claus had always been the better twin, and it was true. Had he been alive, had Claus grown up to resemble someone like Ness, I had no doubt that he would've gone off to do bigger and better things. He wouldn't have stayed here and watched our family waste away into misery. I couldn't imagine Claus wanting to sit around in our tiny dingy apartment, biding his time for an adventure and playing his cards safe. His own impulsiveness was his downfall.

But as amazing as Claus is, I'm nothing like him.

I catch my dad's eyes and the sinking feeling returns to the pit of my stomach. I'm not Lucas. I've never been Lucas. I'm an impersonation of my brother, a cheap knockoff strung along on a  _buy-one-Claus-get-one-free_. I'm only supposed to be the carbon copy of my dad's favorite son.

And shamefully I don't mind at all. I've never been a leader. I don't lead; I follow. I've never been comfortable in my own skin, so I've grown used to hiding in others. First I've been walking in Claus's shoes, and now, I trail behind Ness's shadow.

The boy named "Lucas" has never existed.

I've always been a copy of someone else.

Pushing his chair back, my dad finishes the last dregs of his coffee. "I'm going to work," he finally says, striding away to slip on his shoes. He takes one, two steps before coming to an impressive halt at the door. "Lucas. I don't mind if your friend fools around with other boys. He's not my son. You are." His eyes shift to meet mine. "And no son of mine is a fucking faggot."

My throat closes up. "Right, dad."

Tilting his cowboy hat over his face, my dad silently shrugs on his jacket and pushes his way outside.

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter 18**_ ~

_**Everybody Talks** _

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* * *

Aside from his lukewarm welcome, Master Hand looks just as ill-tempered as he did the morning the Koopalings destroyed his coffee maker. I quickly take my seat next to Samus, and sensing that Master Hand's anger is about to boil over the pot, Ness wisely decides to hold his tongue.

When we peel into the Front Grounds, the change of decor is impossible to miss. All of the neatly-trimmed hedges are softly coated with frost, and the Grand Fountain - a marble statue of a giant Gamecube controller - glimmers under a thin layer of ice. It's as if Christmas has come early and dressed Smash Mansion in bright hues of red and green. Master Hand gestures at the limo driver to park, and as soon as the car doors smoothly click open, he floats out. Taking that as a sign to follow, we hurriedly trail after him.

Twitching at the doors, Crazy Hand is the first to greet us inside the Mansion.  **"wELcOMe hOME, bROTHeR DEArEST!"**  he cackles, throwing on a spare glove over his brother's fingers.  **"i daRESay yOU aRe ChiLLeD tO tHE BoNE!"**

 **"Yes, I was, thank you, it was quite cold indeed,"**  Master Hand says wearily, glancing up at the ceiling.  **"Judging from the intact skyscraper, I assume that there's been no trouble on your end?"**

 **"nO tROUBLe?!"**  As if in disbelief, Crazy flips out and makes a wild gesture with his fluttering fingers.  **"YoU sHOuLd hEAr the rUMOrS eVErYonE'S bEEn SPreaDiNG-"**

**"What rumors?"**

**"nOT tELLiNg! iT'S A sEcrET,"**  Crazy Hand sings.  **"eVerYoNE'S bEEn awFUlly ADAmEnt aBoUT nOT tELLiNg _yOu_ , eVEr! aND thAt's nOT aLL. taLk aBOuT tHE bOMb iN tHe sKYtRAiN... tHeN oOOh, AbOUt tHaT BrEAk-IN aT tHE mUSEUm yeSterDaY nIGhT iN OnE-"**

 **"Crazy,"**  Master Hand interrupts sharply.  **"Not in present company."**

As if just noticing us awkwardly lingering in the foyer, Crazy Hand cackles,  **"A-wHOOpsie! aLmOSt LeT SOMeThiNG slIP aGAiN!"**  When Master Hand brushes past him, Crazy leans into my ear and lowers his voice with barely-suppressed glee.  **"sOMeoNE sTOlE sOMeTHinG pREcIOUS frOM tHE mUsEUm, yES, yeS. sOmEThINg oF mY bROthER'S. A vErY nAStY bUSinEsS-"**

_**"Crazy."** _

**"cOMInG brO-bRO!"** Crazy hoots, sweeping after him.

Samus shuts the Mansion doors. As soon as they echo behind us with a resounding thud, Kirby floats off into the direction of the Cafeteria for search of food, and Pikachu scampers down Samus's shoulder to lick a spot of dirt out of his fur.

"I know Porky's got a sore spot with you two, but leave the legal business to Master Hand," Samus sighs, recharging her gun. "Master Hand should take care of cracking down on the police force to swab the deck for evidence. In the meantime, he's upping the security inside the Mansion-"

"Master Hand looks, er... pissed off," Ness observes.

Samus clears her throat. "He's been like that since this morning."

"Really?"

"Yep. He caught Lucina and Pittoo tongue-wrestling each other in the broom closet-"

Ness doubles around. "Lucina's dating  _Pittoo?"_  he sputters.

Samus grimaces. "It caused a huge uproar in the fandom while you two were gone. Master Hand's not happy. You've heard him rant about interdimensional relationships before-"

"Wh-What did Master Hand do to them?"

"Oh, nothing," Samus says dismissively. "Master Hand threatened to throw them out onto the streets, but Crazy was all for it. Said who cared if a little love fed happiness and chaos into this uptight Mansion. First time I ever saw him talk Master Hand out of anything. Still, Master Hand's in a sour mood. Best avoid him while you can." Looking oddly concerned for our welfare, Samus pokes Ness's bag with her blaster. "You two, uh, better drop off your bags and start training. The Championships aren't going to disappear any time soon."

Ness snaps out of his stupor. "Oh, yeah. Lucas, I guess we'd better check what time our match is airing for Round One."

"Smart move. And Ness?" When Ness turns around looking confused, Samus slides her helmet shut. "I hope you know what you're doing." She strides towards the training rooms with Pikachu hot on her heels.

Ness stares after her. "What is she talking about?" he says blankly. I shrug.

Approaching the lobby, we notice that even the elevators look different. The glass elevators are no longer made of glass; instead they give off a liquid silver sheen, its once see-through glass panels switched for fancy gold-plated sheets and gray steampunk gears. A Christmas wreath adorns each one.

Despite the competitive tension of the Winter Championships looming over our heads, the festive Christmas cheer has snuck its way into the Mansion. It dangles on the baubles of the snow-capped trees Olimar recently hauled in, and glitters in the last-ditch sprigs of mistletoe that Captain Falcon hurriedly plastered over the arches of hallways and corridors. If that isn't a blatant indication, Rosalina is floating around the Mansion knitting ugly Christmas sweaters for everyone. She's rounding the corner with Peach when Ness and I hurry out of the elevators, and as they pass us, Peach's exasperation is clear in her voice.

"Rosie, the tournament's coming up in three days-"

"Christmas is an Earth Tradition, is it not?" Rosalina speaks vaguely, flicking her wand. The finished sweater drops on a waiting string of Lumas, who - struggling underneath the dull blue-gray sweater of a Pokeball - chirp happily and bob away in search of an elusive Red. "Even you were baking pies and crumpets in the kitchen the other day."

"But Rosie-" Peach says weakly.

"In the midst of fierce competition lies great companionship." Rosalina smiles serenely. "Fear not, for I have trained as hard as I could. You know that I cannot let you take all the fun, dear sister. Now let us enjoy the Christmas festivities."

On the other hand, Marth looks stressed out beyond comparison. He's apparently holed himself up in the library whenever he's not sleeping in his room or training with Roy on their tag-team strategies, reciting physics formulas and political history facts under his breath.

"Cheers," Marth says distractedly when Ness and I take another hard-earned practice round, and without a moment to waste, hurries out of the training room.

"His finals are coming up," Roy helpfully mutters on the side, and with a jolt, I remember that Marth is a junior at Smash University.

Marth isn't alone in his distress; a couple of his friends in the early twenties are caught in the same predicament. Throughout the morning, I see Zelda and Link huddled together in hushed whispers over an open  _Introduction to the Life Sciences_  textbook, and Cloud is gritting his teeth over  _The Culture and Civilization of_ _Smash City_  with a nonplussed Robin pouring over his own meticulously handwritten notes on  _Greek Mythology._  Only Shulk looks relaxed among his peers, lazily staring over his friends' shoulders in polite interest.

When Marth buries himself in a pile of textbooks in the corner of the cafeteria during brunch, wallowing in an undertone of simmering distress, Shulk unwisely approaches him.

"Uh, Marth," Shulk asks, warily prodding Marth in the shoulder with his Monado. "You  _do_  know that our exams have been moved to January, right? All the professors granted us an extension for the Championships-"

"I am  _not_  failing my classes," Marth snaps.

Shulk laughs. "You, fail? Four-point-oh Hero King Marth? That's impossible-"

"Try me."

"Even Link's given up on studying until after the Championships-"

"Link is a smart man."

"But my future vision-"

Marth slams  _English Through the Ages_  shut. "I'm taking seven classes and have three exams back-to-back on the same day," Marth says, his voice cracking, and there's a certain twitch on his eyebrow that has failed to mask his dangerous undertone. "If you distract me one more time, Shulk, by the gods, I will personally run Falchion through your spleen."

"You'd better sod off, Shulk," Roy says sympathetically at Marth's side, and Shulk hastily stumbles away to find a seat between a laughing Link and Cloud. Catching my eye, Roy gives me a wink before Marth shoves a textbook into his face and demands Roy to quiz him.

But the surrealism only peaks from there.

Despite her headstrong nature, Nana seems more flustered than usual, tripping over the training equipment and refusing to meet my eyes. On my way to the water fountain after yet another brutal practice match, Bayonetta throws me a knowing smirk, slow and sultry, before ruffling my hair like I've made her proud. Bowser and Wario stop conversing at once to watch me trudge into the lobby, then guffaw into tears when I stare their way. To my own mortification, Captain Falcon dashes over and slaps me hard on the rump with a crowing, "Yeah, go get some!" and I think I even saw a flustered Samus bring Ness off to the side at one point of the day.

"She said she was sorry for doubting me," Ness says, turning red in the face when I ask him what she wanted.

At wit's end, whenever I tried approaching someone for answers, they'd hurry away, suddenly seeming incredibly busy. What's more, most of the Smashers were giving us space like we were contagious. Or as if Ness and I were back in grade school, and everyone else was in on an inside joke we weren't privy to.

So it's with an air of fresh relief when I find Ness chilling in the cafeteria. He's snacking on baby carrots when he spots me, and when he waves me over, I join all-too-thankfully.

Alone together at a table, Pittoo and Lucina are holding hands and speaking in low, concerned undertones on the side. Their conversation radiates with an unmistakable intimacy, and in the far corner beside his wife, Robyn, I see Lucina's father - Chrom - glowering at the new-found couple with deep resentment. It's clear that he doesn't approve of his daughter's relationship. I can feel Chrom's foul mood simmer across the cafeteria, and from the way Ness is warily edging away from Chrom's full-force stare, he certainly feels it too.

Hastily searching for a distraction, I pour myself a glass of water. "Everyone's acting odd."

Ness sputters, "O-Odd?"

"People kept saying  _congratulations_  to me all morning. I'm not sure why. It was a little weird," I confess, twisting the bottle cap back on.

"You too?" Ness says incredulously.

I sit up. "What's going on?" I say stupidly.

"Beats me. I have no fucking idea." Ness shakes his head before tilting his own waterbottle back. He swallows, then wipes his mouth with his sleeve. "Maybe they're just happy to see us back in time for the Championships."

"Maybe," I repeat, scratching the back of my neck.

"Chrom though," Ness says under his breath, glancing at the intimidating man who is currently searing us nicely under his gaze. "I swear, he thinks it's somehow  _our_  fault that Lucina hooked up with Pittoo. Can you believe that? _"_  Ness sounds mortally wounded by the accusation, and I can sympathize. I'm having a hard time believing that chill-as-a-cucumber Chrom can give anyone the  _DIE SCUM_  look, but when Chrom turns to direct his scowl onto me, I hastily drop my eyes. If looks could kill, Ness and I would've been creamed on the spot.

His mouth full of half-chewed baby carrots, Ness furiously waves his hands around. "I mean, wif the bay eybeebuhdee's aboiding us... " he swallows down his food. "Seriously, what did we  _do_ _?_  Like I give two shits about whom Lucina's dating-"

"Yo, if it isn't my favorite two homies," Popo exclaims, slinging an arm around our shoulders. Trailing behind him, Toon and Red awkwardly hang back, holding their trays. Popo glances over in Chrom's way, then whistles. "Damn, you've  _really_  pissed Chrom off-"

"What now, Popo," Ness says irritably.

"Just checking up on you, obviously," Popo responds cheerfully, and at his side Toon whispers frantically under his breath, " _Nooo, Popo, we shouldn't bother them-"_

"Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on?" Ness says loudly, and some heads turn his way. "Everyone's been avoiding us like the plague!"

I glance at Red, but he pointedly refuses to meet our eyes. It's Popo who answers, giving in with a small snigger.

" _Duh._  We're giving you two space."

Ness frowns. "Space? For what?"

"No wonder Chrom wants to kill you. He's after your guts for setting an example to his daughter-"

"What example?!"

"Nessie, I'm hurt," Popo says, faking a hurt expression while clapping a hand over his chest. "As your former ex, I thought you would've at least  _told_  me you were dating Lucas."

The words don't quite sink into my head until Ness twists himself around like a pretzel. Struck speechless, he's doing the perfect goldfish impression, opening and closing his mouth in a comical ' _o_ '.

"I, w-what?!" Ness manages to choke out.

Hopelessly oblivious to his shock, Popo pats hims on the back. "It's nice to know that you two are finally together-"

"We're not dating," I say quickly.

"Course you aren't," Popo says earnestly.

"No, we really  _aren't,_ " Ness insists, quickly regaining momentum. "Look, Popo, it's just a rumor, so drop it-"

"Not when you two were going at it back in Lucas's apartment."

My blood turns to ice.

Ness's face rapidly pales. "You were awake?" he whispers.

Popo looks like the smuggest bastard in the world. "Oh, hell yeah. We were listening to you two make out the  _entire night-_ "

The back of my neck has started to prickle, and I know from Popo's sudden look of triumph that my face is flushing deep crimson. Ness shoots me a panicked glance, and I notice that his face has turned paler still in contrast. One thing's for sure: he's reflecting the same horrified expression on my face.

Toon turns a deep scarlet. "I... I wasn't listening," Toon defends lamely. "I woke up-"

"-and I'm surprised that Lucas's dad didn't. You two were being  _loud_ ," Popo hoots, elbowing Ness in the side. "Ness, you player, you."

Ness has turned as white as a sheet. He grabs Popo by the arm. "Listen, you don't understand, it was only a dare-"

"Pretty passionate for a dare, don't you think?" Popo grins, yanking his arm away.

"Will you give it a rest?! It was a dare, Popo!"

"Sure thing, Nessie," Popo says airily, waving his hand. "Geez, the next time you two want to cozy up and kiss each other, just  _say_  so. Well, anyways, my best wishes to you-"

"FOR THE LAST TIME, WE'RE NOT DATING!" Ness yells, leaping to his feet, and the Cafeteria falls into a sudden hush. "LUCAS. IS. MY. BEST. FRIEND!"

Everyone stares at us like we've grown two heads. For a second, it seems like Ness's words have finally gotten through.

Then a sudden snort of derision erupts from one of the tables, and to my dismay, everyone breaks out laughing.

"Good one, Ness!"

"Best friend? Don't you mean  _boyfriend?"_

"Hey! Hey, Ness! Is Lucas your  _bestest_ best friend?"

Swearing loudly, Ness grabs my hand. "Come on, Lucas," he mutters, throwing everyone a dirty look. "Let's get out of here."

"Come on, Lucas," Wolf mimics, and when I fluster, heating up at the remark, the entire house falls into shambles from another round of laughter.

Ness throws Wolf a venomous scowl before dragging me away by the arm. I'm thankful for his quick-thinking, because the cafeteria has dissolved into noisy chaos. Jabbing a finger accusingly in Wolf's direction, Marth has risen from his seat, looking furious and red-faced from yelling, and just as Ike leaps to his feet to unsheathe his own sword, the doors slam shut.

I spare the closed doors a nervous glance. "Yikes."

"Yeah." Shaking, Ness grips my hand tighter. "Don't listen to them, Lucas. Wolf's an idiot."

"Right," is all I say, because stupidly, all I can think about is how warm and toasty Ness's hands are.

To my disappointment, Ness clears his throat and quickly lets go of my hand. The lopsided brim of his hat covers his eyes. "A-Anyways, I checked the match-ups. Round One, we're against Marth and Roy."

His tone is deceptively casual. I quickly catch on, pretending that a loud large-scale brawl isn't breaking out in the cafeteria.

"Let's practice with the CPUs," I suggest, and at the change of thought, Ness perks up. When he lifts his head, I can see that his expression has brightened up.

"Level 7 CPUs. Yeah, because all Level 9s shield like hell," he grumbles along, leading the way to the training rooms. "Marth is going to be tricky to beat since he's got a good range, so here's what I'm thinking..."

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~oO0Oo~

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Contrary to what Ness thinks, I rise late because I sleep late. I don't fall asleep often, and whenever I do - as Claus once quoted - I sleep like a rock. I'm afraid of too many things. I'm afraid of the things that go bump in the night. I'm afraid of sleeping, of dreaming of premonitions and of reliving painful memories. I won't get bad dreams if I don't sleep, so I often stay up. I'm not a sound sleeper. Whenever I grow tired, I take little naps during the day.

But now that my own feelings are forcefully stabbing me in the back, I'm all too aware of Ness breathing in the second twin bed.

I guess the closest I've gotten to a crush was idolatry. I've had my own share of people I looked up to, had a handful of people I've admired as role models - role models who inspired me - but a crush feels nothing like this. Idolatry is placing someone on a pedestal and cherry-picking their best qualities.

Crushing on Ness is different. Ness is my friend. He's not perfect. He's just as vulnerable to his doubts and feelings as anyone else, but somehow, whenever the going gets rough, Ness stays confident. He doesn't shrink back from a challenge. He doesn't hide from his faults. He  _tries_  to stay strong, tries to improve himself, and above all, tries to stay himself. He's so unafraid and so painfully honest about himself that it makes my chest constrict.

I want to be more like him. Have the courage to speak up for myself. Be genuine with myself. One day. Someday.

My chest constricts tighter. I can't explain why, but making Ness happy is... important. I find myself wanting to put his needs before mine. I find myself worrying about him more. I find myself  _thinking_  about him more. Even things as mundane as what he had for lunch. Or if he's feeling nervous again. I want to hang out with him. I want to listen to what he has to say. I care about how he feels, and I care that he's happy. Making Ness happy makes me happy.

Ness makes me feel alive. He fills up the gaping hole my brother left behind.

I prop my head against my pillow, and wonder how long I've felt this way. How I haven't realized for so long. I don't know if I  _love_  Ness, but I do know that I  _do_  care about him. That's what love is, isn't it? Caring for someone?

All of a sudden, I feel very stupid. This is no differently from how I've treated Ness in the past. Small wonder Ness thought we were in a relationship. I don't know much about couples, but I know a thing or two about what they  _do_. They hold hands when it's cold outside. They watch Netflix on Saturday nights. They buy each other icecream after working out and flip a coin for the bill. They hang out together, they share a room together, they sleep together.

We do all of the above.

Seriously, the only thing screaming  _friendship_  is the fact that we aren't kissing and trying to get into each other's pants.

Well, no. We've even  _kissed,_  if you count the fit of debauchery in my apartment, and as for the latter-

I scrunch my eyes. What's next? Sex? I think of Ness's half-lidded expression, and the back of my neck begins to burn. Fuck fuck shit. This scares me. I'm not as asexual as I  _thought_  I was, and this revelation has left me reeling on my knees. It's as if the puzzle pieces are clicking together, and I can see the bigger picture. The moment Ness saved me at the Ruined Zoo _._  The moment Ness hugged me when I cried after another nightmare about Claus. The moment Ness squeezed my hand tightly before my first brawl and whispered  _it's okay, you can do it_.

I should've known.

I squirm uncomfortably in place. It's not up for debate - Ness  _is_  a good friend. If I'm going to be overly sappy about this, then yes, he might even be what I'd consider my best friend. But now things are different because I've realized that I'm  _maybe, sort-of, questionably_  in love with him, and that flips my entire world upside down. Whatever's going on, one thing's clear: I am feeling  _something_ , a something that makes me feel all warm and squirmy inside whenever Ness is nearby - a pleasant feeling that bubbles up my throat and clogs up my words on their way up to my mouth.

Maybe it's his laugh. Whenever Ness laughs, it's infectious, so so infectious that it makes me stupidly happy for no reason, and I don't feel so lonely with him around. It makes sense, I think, because Ness is my best friend. He's someone I can trust through trying times, through thick and thin.

I want to make Ness happy.

Then I remember how distraught Ness had been coming out, and my heart sinks. If Ness had felt  _that_  guilty over a supposed gay crush, then I'm not sure about how he'd react to my own feelings. I don't want to make Ness cry. I don't want to make him upset. I don't want to make things any harder than they are on him.

Ness is a naturally happy person. It's his default. If anything, he deserves someone who can make him feel equally happy, someone who won't drag him down.

Then the truth strikes me hard, because I can't be that someone. I can't make Ness happy. And I can't make Ness happy, because I'm too jaded and cynical and  _unhappy_. I'm swamped by financial problems. I bear the heavy burden of a broken family. I know tragedy because I've witnessed it first-hand, while Ness has grown up relatively sheltered from the outside world.

Even if Ness  _miraculously_  decides to return my own feelings, there's so many reasons, thousands and thousands of reasons why it wouldn't, why a relationship between us could never work out. In the end, my emotional baggage is too heavy for another person to hold.

I can't make Ness happy.

The painful, achy feeling in my chest intensifies, and my heart pounds louder in protest. I wonder if it's going to explode. I really hope not.

Suddenly, Ness bolts up, and I watch him clamber off his bed. From the sounds of it, Ness has been awake. He's been awake the entire time since we turned off the lights at ten and - from glancing from his fluorescent green glow-in-the-dark clock - Ness has been awake for a few hours. While Ness generally sleeps well, tonight is different, and I have an inkling on why.

It's the week of the Championships.

The washroom light clicks on for the second time that night, and when I sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes, I hear the toilet flush. After a quick rush of tap water, Ness slips back out. Seeing me already up, Ness's tired eyes light up into a sheepish smile.

Even now when he's worn out and exhausted, he's trying to smile.

"Sorry, I'll try to keep it in-"

"You need to eat," I say calmly, or as calmly as the butterflies in my stomach will let me.

Ness laughs - it's impossible not to smile while he's laughing - and pokes his stomach. "I think I need to eat  _less_ ," he jokes.

"I've got peppermint tea," I pipe up.

"Really, Lucas, you don't have to-"

"If I brew something, will you drink it?"

"Uh, I guess-"

I take that as a  _yes_  and slip out of bed. "Give me a minute."

It doesn't take too long for the water to boil, and when the kettles hisses and steams, Ness steps into the kitchen with a yawn. I slide his mug over - the dorky  _May the Force be with You_  mug Tracy got for his 14th birthday - and set my own boring blue one onto the table.

Ness cautiously reaches for the cup. He lowers his face into the tea and takes a slow sniff.

My throat turns dry. "Tea settles your stomach," I explain, suddenly nervous, but there's no need to be - Ness is already downing the cup, hissing as the hot beverage scalds his tongue. He's hasty, even when drinking tea.

"Thanks," Ness says, setting the mug down. His eyes curiously flicker up to my face. "How did you know that I liked peppermint?"

"I didn't," I say truthfully. Then again, Ness isn't picky with his appetite. I've never seen him refuse food before.

"My mom likes mint," Ness says wistfully. "She keeps a pot-plant of the stuff in the kitchen. It's one of her favorite herbs."

"Peppermint helps with indigestion."

"Huh." Ness deeply inhales the tea. There's a faint smile, but it's slowly growing wider on his face. "Smells like home."

I swallow down the sudden lump in my throat. My heart is doing weird, flippy-somersaults in my chest again, so I quietly bring my own cup to my face and hope that my face isn't as flushed as I feel.

"You're right. I feel loads better," Ness says, happily setting his mug down, and this time, I see that he's finished the cup. I stare at the steam spiraling from his empty mug, and then test my own tea by tentatively poking it with the tip of my tongue - it's still scalding hot. How? How does he  _do_  that?

"I'm hungry," Ness suddenly announces.

I laugh into my cup, and almost end up choking on my tea instead. "We could have a midnight breakfast party. Make syrup-drizzled pancakes."

Ness sinks his face into the table with a groan. "Fuckkk, that sounds really good, but I can't. I need to stop binge-eating or I'll throw it back up again-"

"It's your nerves."

"That's a part of it." Ness appraises me, before his eyes lift up in a way that makes my stomach twist not-so-unpleasantly. Weirdly enough, I've never noticed how dark his pupils are, blending into his purple eyes. I can't tell where his pupils start and where the purple ends. "Anyways, Championships are up in two days. You ready to kick some butt?"

"You know it," I agree, and when he breaks into a crooked grin, sure and satisfied, I fist-bump him back.

Unfortunately the modicum of calm doesn't last long. By the next morning, rumor has gone around saying that Ness and Lucas had kissed each other's faces off. No matter how hard we tried to avoid them, Smashers kept flocking over to comment on our newfound "relationship."

"It was just a  _dare!"_  Ness kept yelling, but I think his indignant reaction was only making things worse. My beet-red face certainly didn't do us any favors, and whenever we protested against another "congratulations" or equally snarky remark, it resulted in a loud hoot of "get a room!"

When Ness looks ready to holler bloody murder on the Koopalings, who are gleefully chanting their third verse of "Ness and Lucas, sitting in a tree," I have to pull him aside before Master Hand drags us in for 1st degree murder.

"Just ignore them," I mutter.

"They're making fun of us," Ness snarls.

"And you keep falling for their taunts. Just ignore them, Ness."

Ness breathes in. He's trying to calm down, but when Ness's shoulders sag over, with a sudden jolt, I realize that underneath all the shouting and yelling, he looks about ready to cry.

But Ness doesn't cry. Meeting my eyes, he tries to crack a smile. "Okay," he says softly, and that simple word makes my chest ache, because I know that he's hurting, but trying not to show it. He doesn't want to worry me. He doesn't want me to know how much everyone's taunts are cutting into his confidence.

Even now despite all the taunts and jokes, Ness doesn't run away. He's standing up for both of us. His courage puts me to shame.

So when Ness reaches for my hand, I let him hold it.

But the taunts don't stop, and Ness finally throws in the towel during lunch. Leaving his steak half-eaten on his plate, Ness roughly pushes himself out of the cafeteria. After a moment of indecision, I scoop up his tray and follow.

When I find him, he's rocking on the stairs between the fourth and fifth floor. I quietly plop down next to him, and when Ness doesn't respond, his head buried in his hands, I hesitantly prod him with his half-finished cafeteria tray.

"You should eat," I say quietly.

At this, Ness turns his head over. He gives a rueful glance at the cafeteria plate in my hands. "What's the point, I'm only going to throw it back up," he says bitterly.

"You should eat," I repeat. Not for the last time, I wish the Winter Championships are over so that Ness's appetite can kick back in. Whenever Ness gets stressed out, he stuffs himself silly, then throws it all back up. I'm so desperate that I'll swear not to make fun of him for all the times he ate like a bottomless pit; I just want him to  _eat,_  because his tray's going cold.

As luck would have it, Ness ignores the tray. "I can't believe it," he cries, throwing his hands up into the air. "I. Can't. Fucking. Believe it. They  _know_  how shipping works. They  _know_  the media blows everything out of proportion. Seriously, I don't recall anyone saying anything when Bayonetta went out on a fucking date with Samus last year!"

I wearily sink down into my seat. "Their date was platonic."

 _"This dare_  was platonic too!"

"As hard as it might be to believe, friends don't usually kiss each other, Ness."

My words sail right over his head. "No one made a fuss about Samus and Bayonetta," Ness repeats stubbornly. "Everyone knew that Bayonetta liked to mess around-"

"But you have to admit that it was only a girl's night out."

Ness squeezes his eyes shut. "Fuck. Fuck, fuck,  _fuck."_  He's biting into the back of his knuckles so hard that they're turning white from blood loss.

I grab his wrist before he can draw blood. "Stop that."

Ness twists his hand away and buries his face into his hands. I can sense his rising shame. "Shit," he whispers hoarsely. "I fucked up-"

"We both did."

"I forced you to do the dare-"

"Ness, if I didn't want to go through with it, then I would've said so," I say firmly.

"-no wonder all those books were on sale... and if Jigglypuff's posted everything on twitter-" Ness looks up at me in horror. "Everyone's gonna think that  _you're_  gay."

A cold ripple of dread crawls down my spine. I'm not sure how Ness's mom would react to me supposedly "dating" her son, much less how my own dad will take the news. My dad's only living son, gay? Brilliant. I'm the family disappointment, but fuck, this news will definitely take the cake for sure. My father takes everything on the paper seriously, and I don't think he understands the nonsensical logic behind shipping.

But Ness is upset over  _me_  being upset, and for some reason, this bothers me more than anything else.

"Nevermind that," I say quickly. "Right now we need to figure out how to get out of this mess."

Ness lifts his face. "I don't get it. What's there not to get?" he asks, desperately flailing his hands around to emphasize his point. "Everyone thinks that I'm in denial and that we're  _dating_  each other. What the fuck is wrong with everyone?! What do we do?" He chokes up. "Oh god, what is  _Master Hand_  going to do?!"

**"An apt question."**

We whirl around.

Breathing heavily like an enraged bull, Master Hand uncurls his fist.  **"You two. My office. NOW _."_**

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.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

The minute we seat ourselves, Master Hand's scorching glower  _doubles_  in intensity.  **"Twitter has exploded."**

"It was  _just_  a dare!"

"We can explain-"

 **"I've heard enough."** Master Hand raises a finger to silence us, and sharing a frightened look, both of us close our mouths. Master Hand hunches over his desk.  **"First Lucina and Pittoo, and now you. I should've seen this coming** **,"** he mutters.  **"But it's inevitable I suppose."**

I swallow down the lump in my throat. "I'll go pack my bags."

Ness starts with a jolt and looks at me like I've gone crazy. "What?!"

Master Hand frowns.  **"Indeed."**

"It's the end of the line, isn't it, Master Hand?" I speak slowly, but train my eyes on my shaking hands. I've failed to push Ness away. I've failed to keep my feelings in. My fingers dig into my jeans. All of a sudden, the panic settles in, and I realize that I don't want to leave. Not so soon. Not like this.

Master Hand clears his throat.  **"Look at me, Lucas,"** he says gently.  **"No one is getting fired."**

Ness shoots his head up. "You were planning to  _fire_  him?" he sputters indignantly. "Over a shipping scandal?!"

**"Ness-"**

"Master Hand, Lucas didn't do anything!"

**"Ness-"**

"I swear, whatever it was, it was probably me-"

**"Ness, settle down before I hand you over to Crazy."**

Ness snaps his mouth shut, and despite himself, stubbornly latches onto my hand. Sensing Master Hand's unseen eyes linger on our interlaced fingers, I uncomfortably shake Ness off. Ness looks hurt - my stomach gives an unpleasant lurch at his expression - but he awkwardly pulls away, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Master Hand wastes no time to gloss over the sticky moment.  **"** **Let me try to make light of the situation."**  he booms.  **"You two... are _not_  in a romantic relationship. Am I correct?"**

I mutter in assent. Ness answers after me a beat slower.

**"And this is the first time either of you have been dragged into a shipping scandal."**

Looking uncomfortable, Ness shuffles his feet. "Second time."

**"Ah. With Popo in Melee."**

Ness wrinkles his nose. "Yeah."

 **"But I believe that had been a minor shipping scandal - something blown off after a matter of days. Nothing of this proportion."** Master Hand leans forward, clasping his own figurative hands.  **"Listen to me, Ness, Lucas. You have no experience with what you will deal with in the next couple of weeks. Your mail will blow up. Every move you make will end up on the Internet. Do not _respond_  to these people. Do not  _talk back_  to these people. "**

Ness relaxes. "So basically, nothing new."

**"On the contrary, no. The difference between _then_  and  _now_  is that you are both in your late teens - the prime age of shipping. This means that fanservice will take a greater interest in both of you."**

"As it did for Ike and Marth?"

**"At your age? Very much so."**

"Joy," Ness says bitterly.

Master Hand quirks an eyebrow. **"On the contrary. I'm sure you know very well how their friendship declined."**

The solemn answer stews into the queasy silence, and I suddenly realize that a few years ago, a teenage Marth and Ike must've sat in these exact same plastic chairs at some point, listening to Master Hand dole out the exact same advice on their fate.

Ness reluctantly glances back to Master Hand. "Then-"

 **"I will say that which I've addressed to countless smashers before you, and that which I've addressed to Lucina and Pittoo. While I highly disapprove of interdimensional relationships - do not interrupt me, Ness - as long as your training record keeps up, I see no reason for punishment. Ness, you are almost eighteen, and Lucas, similarly so. On these grounds, I will no longer interfere with your personal life. You two are old enough to make the right decisions, and frankly, in** **the case that you _are_  in a relationship, I have little interest in... w** **hatever you do behind closed doors."**

The back of my neck prickles at the insinuation.

Instantly, Ness flushes like a tomato. "What do you mean  _whatever you do_   _behind closed doors?!"_  he erupts furiously. "Master Hand, we're just friends-"

 **"Moreover-"**  he says, raising a finger to cut Ness's voice off.  **"I will repeat myself for the third time: bear in mind that you are responsible for your own actions. Consent of both parties** **was involved. Where denial is proof and refutation serves as fuel, the next few months of shipping will tax your patience. That said, as Smashers, your professionalism is of utmost importance. I** **will warn you, once and only once: I will not tolerate any ugly behavior between you two in this mansion. We don't need another re-enactment of the IkeXMarth fiasco. That means no fist-fights outside of brawls, nor sexual misdemeanors of any kind. I trust that you can ignore the shippers and be civil with each other?"**

Ness and I exchange a reluctant look. Turning away from each other, we mutter our assent.

 **"Good."** Master Hand impatiently snaps his fingers, and the doors swing open.  **"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some matters of importance to attend to. Kindly refrain from giving me a migraine before the Championships."**

We file out of his office in a downtrodden silence.

Master Hand has let us go easily. Too easily.

At least his brother Crazy is direct. Master Hand is manipulative. His decisions often hide an ulterior motive - a well-meant motive most likely, but a hidden one all the same. After stirring up all that vehemence about interdimensional relationships and threatening to fire me, I'm surprised with the lack of punishment he's been doling out on us over the past week. It's as if his focus is elsewhere. As if he's prioritizing a larger threat since Pokey's attack on the SkyTrain.

This bothers me.

And judging from his knitted eyebrows, I think it bothers Ness too.

Halfway to the elevator, Ness suddenly speaks up. "Why did you brush me off?"

I vaguely recall our linked hands, the frown radiating out of Master Hand in droves. "Master Hand was looking our way."

"If you didn't want me to hold your hand, then you could've said so." Clenching his fists at his sides, Ness breathes in, and while he's trying to stay calm, I can feel his frustration flare up like a gas stove. "You're not the only one dragged into this shipping scandal."

"I'm sorry," I say helplessly. "You know I'm not used to all this attention from the media. This is the first time I'm dealing with a shipping scandal, and I'm-" I swallow hard. "I'm scared."

Ness pauses. I feel his anger dissolve. He swallows too, and his eyes flicker to the floor. "I know. I'm scared too. But it'll be okay. We'll work this out somehow."

Even now he's trying to be strong. He's trying to be brave for the both of us.

Hesitantly, I offer him my hand. When Ness's eyes flicker to my fingers with a frown, I half-expect him to brush me off the same way I had in Master Hand's office, and sure enough, he looks more than ready to sock me in the shoulder. Sheepishly, I withdraw my hand, but to my surprise, Ness quietly leans into my side, linking our fingers together.

"It wasn't your fault," he mumbles. "It was mine."

"We were both at fault."

"I don't want to-" His voice cracks, and Ness chokes on his words. "I don't want to end up like Ike and Marth."

His hand is still warm and soft. Tentatively, I squeeze it back. "We won't."

"We won't," Ness repeats as if to  _make_  the words come true, then grips my hand tighter. "It'll take a lot more than a measly shipping scandal to trip us over."

I breathe in. "So... what now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Anything we'll say from now on won't hold any weight. Ignoring the shippers seems like the best option-"

"It won't help," Ness quickly cuts in. "You remember how badly the media pressured Ike and Marth-"

"As long as we don't acknowledge the scandal-"

"Trust me on this one, Lucas. The shipping won't fade."

I accept this explanation without question. Ness has experience on his side. He's been through this more times than I have. When I spare a glance at him, Ness is deep in thought.

"Lucina and Pittoo look really happy together," he says quietly.

Do they? I flashback to their joined hands, their low undertones in the cafeteria. Barring Lucina's heavy bags and Pittoo's slumped shoulders, they'd  _seemed_  like a close couple. Perhaps they were. They certainly didn't look  _un_ -happy.

Ness stops so suddenly that I almost bump into him. He turns around. "I don't want them to break them up."

"Same," I say quickly, but I'm not sure about where he's going with this.

Luckily, Ness doesn't leave me in the dark for long. "Lucina thought that we were dating, so she didn't even know that she was breaking the rules. I bet that was the only reason Master Hand let it slide."

"But we're not dating," I say, exasperated.

"I know. But if we convince Lucina that we're  _not_  dating, and everyone hears about it, Master Hand might change his mind. Or Chrom might pressure her to break up," Ness pleads, and fuck it if my guilty conscience is getting the better of me.

I give a low groan. "Ness, I think Lucina can take of herself. She's a lot stronger than she looks-"

"I'm not saying she's weak, but Lucina's super close to her dad," Ness retorts, and I'm surprised by the sudden conviction in his voice. "You saw Chrom in the cafeteria. Do you think he went easy on Lucina just because she's his daughter? Hell no. It probably took Lucina everything she had to stand up against her dad. Because believe me, it fucking sucks." Ness draws a shaky breath. "Shit, I'm sorry, Lucas, I don't know... I just feel so  _bad_  for Lucina. Either way, if she's the only one in an Interdimensional relationship, she'll be under a fuck ton of pressure."

Oh. I didn't even  _think_  about that.

I lower my voice. "Then what do you want to do?"

Ness worries over the brim of his cap. "I don't know. Fuck." He glances at me anxiously. "Okay, I've got an idea. A stupid idea. But  _only_  if you're okay with it."

"What idea?" I ask, watching him apprehensively, because I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this.

Taking another deep breath, Ness clenches my hand so tightly that his nails dig into my skin. "We need to fake a relationship."

A hot rush of blood crashes into my ears.

No.

No, no, no.

"We're not faking a relationship!"

"I know, dumbass! Just hear me out for a sec!" Ness wails when I turn to him agape. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"Debatable."

"Come on," Ness groans. "I'm being serious here."

I'm tempted to retort how "fake-dating your best friend" was considered a serious idea, but taking one look at Ness's desperate expression, I cave in. This better be good.

"Anyways we're friends-"

I give an incoherent grunt.

"And neither of us has been in a relationship, right?"

"...right," I finally say, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Then we'll be  _horrible_  in a relationship together," Ness finishes triumphantly in the air of one realizing why one plus one equals two. There's a gleam in Ness's eyes that screams  _CRAZY PLAN TIME,_  but considering how many times his crazy plans have saved our hides, I decide to give Ness the benefit of doubt.

"You know how people started shipping me and Popo in Melee?" I'm about to answer  _no_ , until Ness hurries along. "Well, it never blew up into a big scandal because we pretended to be together." Ness enthusiastically waves his arms around. "Don't you get it? That's the thing - Popo and I were good  _friends,_  so the whole relationship was a joke. We didn't even last a week together before we "broke up,"" Ness laughs, air-quoting the words. "I guess it helped that this took place before Jigglypuff had a twitter account, but yeah, by the time the rumor surfaced, everyone thought it was some huge joke. I don't think anyone except Popo remembers our shipping scandal."

"You... dated Popo?" For some reason, this makes me feel weirdly unhappy.

Ness recoils. "No!" he cries. "I wouldn't touch him with a twelve inch pole!"

The unhappy feeling disappears. My stomach feels loads lighter. "Then-"

"Don't you see? Everyone already thinks we're together, so if we  _pretend_  to be together and show everyone that the relationship won't work out, then goodbye shipping!"

"You can't erase shipping forever," I point out. "IkeXMarth shippers still exist-"

"But we'd prove everyone wrong about us!"

"Or we could ignore them," I say.

"...We could try," Ness says dubiously.

Neither of us says a word.

I breathe in, pinching off my nose. "Okay, maybe you're right. We're just friends-"

"Right," Ness says quickly. "Just friends."

"And if we're just friends, this... relationship won't go anywhere."

"Exactly. We just have to pull it off long enough for Lucina to settle things with her dad." This time, Ness looks up at me. Now that he's over his excited rambling, his forehead creases with a hint of undisguised uncertainty. "Lucas, are you... are you  _sure_  you're okay with this?"

I think of Lucina. I don't know her. We've rarely interacted, maybe exchanged words once or twice in passing, but from the little I do know of her, she's a congenial person. I think of how happy she looked with Pittoo, but also of how  _tired_  she looked, and I wonder if upsetting her father has taken a larger toll on her health than she lets on.

I think of my own dad. I think of how gravely serious he'd sounded back home.

_No son of mine is a fucking faggot._

Then I think of Ness. How he manages to squeeze in helping other people into his schedule. He might not be always right, he might not be too careful about his own safety, but Ness has his heart in the right place. He puts everyone's needs ahead of his.

"I'm okay with it," I say softly.

Ness looks surprised by how easily I've caved in. If anything, my answer has the opposite of the intended effect - Ness's frown deepens. "You're missing the entire point. If you don't feel comfortable, I'm totally fine with just ignoring the shippers-"

"What's the plan," I say firmly before I can regret it.

Ness's expression turns solemn. "Okay, the plan: We pretend that we're in a relationship. Then I guess about a month in, we break it off. Convincingly. We just have to fake our way through until Chrom and Lucina make amends. That way, when we split up, everyone will realize we were just friends. Simple. We kill two birds with one stone."

Easier said than done. Forget  _pretending_  to be in a relationship, I'm as romantic as dry plaster. In any case, hands down, Ness would make a better fake boyfriend than I ever wou-

Boyfriend.

Ness is my fake  _boyfriend._

The unfamiliar word makes me feel weird and squirmy inside.

Ness's voice dies out. I wonder if he's thinking the same thing, because his eyes have grown round with the  _Shit, are we actually going though with this_  look, and as selfish as it sounds, I'm glad because it reminds me that I'm not alone.

Ness is my friend.

Ness is just my best friend.

I swallow hard. "You think we can really pull this off?"

Ness intently searches my face, and I feel my stomach lurch under his scrutiny. "Yeah." he says firmly. "I think we can."

Then the butterflies swarm my stomach, and I give an awkward sort of spasm that was probably supposed to be a shrug. A fake relationship. No feelings attached. I relax. We're friends, close friends maybe, but definitely nothing more. I think of Lucina openly tongue-wrestling Pittoo in the broom closet, of the ( _probably_ ) sappy expression on Pittoo's face, and I think about kissing Ness with the same sappy expression on my  _own_  face.

I give a horrified shudder. Oh, I'm definitely  _passing_  on the PDA.

Ness is right. Our relationship definitely wouldn't work out. I'm betting that we wouldn't last a month together. By then, Lucina and Chrom should be on better terms, I can explain to my dad that the relationship was all one big joke, and Ness and I can return to being friends.

One month.

I can get over him.

When the warm, fluttery feeling spreads from my stomach to my fingers, Ness jerks his head up, surprised. When I look down, I realize that I'm holding his hand, and the back of my neck prickles. Oh. That explains the warmth spreading across my hand.

Embarrassed, I duck my head and try to pull my hand away. "Sorry-"

Ness tightens his hold. "It's okay," he says, his voice oddly quiet underneath his favorite baseball cap.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll be seeing more of Marth, Link, and their posse soon.  
> Happy reading! :)


	19. It Sucks to be Gay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ness tries to think like a dating sim.  
> It doesn't really work.

_**~Prologue~** _

My dad was a busy man. Of this, there was no doubt.

He worked from dawn until dusk, and with each pay raise, his desk job slowly began to consume his life. There were times he couldn't come home, but for the most part, he was still the fun-loving dad who'd sneakily slip me a fifty when I asked him for a new skateboard  _(Now Nessie, don't tell your mother)_  and was a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan at any given day of the week. No matter what the time, he was down to watch a good game of college baseball, and cheered along with me every time the cubs scored a homerun.

Then my dad's absences grew. Work picked up. First it was a new collaboration. Then, it was drinking out with colleagues. Then, crashing over at the office to finish up a project or two. It was always something. Something, somewhere. Excuse after excuse.

 _No honey, I can't come home today_ , he'd apologetically call my mom over the phone.

I began to feel uneasy.

Then one lazy day in March, my dad brought us over to Onett's finest Steak Diner. His company wanted to celebrate his latest promotion, and encouraged him to invite his family over to dinner. Surrounded by his colleagues and a doting wife, to any outsider, my dad seemed like the happiest man on the earth. He'd even kissed my mom on the cheek, the first time I'd seen in a long while, and she'd laughed like they were still an embarrassingly-giddy high school couple.

During dinner, one of my dad's colleagues caught my eye. Nothing about him was unusual. He was ordinary enough. Just another face in the crowd.

I don't know what tipped me off first: the furtive glances my dad kept shooting at the man, or the way dad's empathy link kept twisting itself into a tongue-tied knot.

The man never spoke a word to my dad throughout the entire meal.

And her eyes shining with pride, my Mom was too happy to have realized the nervous way Dad would swallow down his food. She was oblivious to something else troubling my dad that night.

When the colleague suddenly excused himself, grabbing his belongings and halfheartedly muttering an excuse to leave, Dad had instinctively risen from his seat as if to bumble after him. As if to stop him from leaving. But the fleeting moment passed, and Dad sank back down into his seat, brushing off the awkward moment with a forced smile and a swift conversation changer. His disappointment tugged on my mind, but when my smiling mom pulled him into another conversation, Dad pulled up his cheerful front and affectionately kissed her on the nose.

My stomach lurched. All of a sudden, the food in front of my plate no longer seemed so appetizing, and nothing could take away the heavy weight sinking into my chest.

That was when I knew.

The life my Dad had led had been a lie.

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter 19**_ ~

**_It Sucks to be Gay_ **

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* * *

"You two are dating? I knew it! I fucking knew it!"

"Why do  _you_  sound more excited than I do?" I ask, but hearing my sister's happy squealing has made me smile in spite of myself.

From the other line, I hear a clear scoff, and can almost see Tracy wiping a imaginary tear away from her eye. "My big brother is no longer stuck in single hell," she says giddily. "You have no idea how happy I am for you... and for me," she adds as an afterthought. "Now everyone at school can quit asking me if you're single and bug me for your number." Her voice quickly rises into a hyperactive yell. "BECAUSE. YOU'RE FINALLY TAKEN!"

I give a laugh, and scratch the back of my neck. "Well... I don't think it counts. We're fake-dating-"

"Right," Tracy says smugly. "Fake-dating. Still counts."

"Hush, you. We're only supposed to keep up the act until next month, so don't tell anyone-"

Tracy snickers, and the sound crackles across the receiver. "You can stop right there, brother. You know, I'm starting to feel bad for Lucas. He's going to have to deal with you trying to smooch him all the time-"

"Why does everyone keep  _thinking_  that? What kind of weirdo do you take me for?" I wail, and Tracy bursts into uncontrollable giggling. "Lucas agreed to keep up the act, he  _knows_  it's not going to go anywhere, and we've made it pretty clear to each other that we're just friends!"

"Save the grand act for the cameras, big brother. You two are going to be super gross and huggy-"

I can't help but burst into laughter at this. "Lucas? Huggy? He hates hugs!"

"Yeah, the only person I've ever seen him willingly hug is Mom," Tracy laughs along. "He doesn't strike me as someone who likes to be touched. Still when he seems perfectly comfortable about hanging around you, I don't know  _how_  he does it. Like, you look all badass and tough fighting on-screen, but in real life, you're all cheesy and sappy and uncool-"

"Again, I repeat, _what is that supposed to mean?!"_  I say indignantly.

"It means that my big brother's in love," Tracy says happily. "Oh man, Mom's gonna be over the moon when you tell her that the rumors are true."

 _Lucas rejected me three weeks ago_ , I want to say, but Tracy sounds so happy for me that I can't muster the courage to burst her bubble. Thankfully, Tracy changes the topic to her finals, and I listen to her gripe over her graded chemistry exam ( _One point! I was ONE point away from a perfect score!_ ) before she hands the phone over to my mom.

"Hi sweetie," she says once Tracy has flounced away. "Did you eat yet?"

"Not yet. I just woke up. I'm calling you from the living room because Lucas is-" I glance at the bedroom, but it's as quiet as it appears. "Yeah, he's still in bed."

"Then don't disturb him," she admonishes me.

"I'm not," I whine.

"You can't be too careful, young man. If you rush into things, you'll scare your boyfriend away."

Suddenly I choke on my own spit. "H-How did you-"

"It's not rocket science. You've stuck to Lucas since elementary school," my mom says impatiently, and when I sputter out something in my defense, my mom continues to grill me, "And the media has gone nuts! Ai, ai, ai. Ness, you troublemaker! You need to take good care of your boyfriend, or he'll dump you-"

"Mom, Lucas won't dump me just because I woke him up," I mumble, suddenly hot and red-faced. Talking to mom about my  _boyfriend,_  fake or real, was in no way NOT awkward.

My mom tuts in disapproval. "You're not off the hook yet, young man. I can't believe you never told me about your relationship before it turned public! What do you think I'm going to do, kick you out on the streets? Disown you?"

"I was gonna tell you, but I never found the right time," I plead. "Mom, I swear I was going to tell you at some point! Really!"

"Well, if you're finally making it official, bring Lucas over for Christmas. I want to speak to him too."

"But you already  _know_  him-"

"You haven't introduced me to him as your boyfriend. If this is official, I want to make this official," Mom says sternly. "Has Lucas introduced you to his parents?"

Exasperated, I throw my hands up into the air. "Mom, aren't we going a little too fast? We've literally  _just_  started dating each other-"

"Nessie."

Dreading the lecture, I meekly bury my face into my hands. "No, he hasn't."

Mom's temper doesn't disappoint. "What were you thinking, making this public before telling his parents! Did you think it'd stay a secret forever?!" she bursts out, aghast. "You're dating their  _son_ , and you've kept it hidden all this time? Ness! That is bad.  _Very_  bad manners. If they're accepting parents who care about their child, they will want to know whom their son is dating. I know it's complicated because you're a boy, but that is no excuse for your poor manners. If Lucas's parents are okay with it, you should pay them your respects this instant, you hear me, young man?"

I wilt into my seat. "Fine, I'll let them know."

"Good." There's a sharp clicking noise - my mom is on her laptop. I can easily imagine her in her study room with a mug of peppermint tea in one hand and a computer mouse in the other. "And Ness, I've added a twenty-pack box of lubed Trojans to my cart on Amazon Prime-"

 _"Mom, I don't need those!"_  I wail.

"-and I'm sending them over just in case-"

"Mom!"

"-because safe sex is very important," my mom finishes serenely as if I'm not being embarrassed to death, and I'm starting to get the feeling that she's secretly enjoying herself at my expense. "But remember, no sex until you are married."

"Then why are you sending over condoms?!"

"Good luck on your match tomorrow! We miss you so," Mom says earnestly before hanging up on me.

**_Click._ **

"Goddamn it," I cry out, tossing my phone onto the table and gripping my suddenly-aching temples. My mom's no doubt the sweetest person in the whole wide world, but why does she find the constant need to  _embarrass_  me? WHY? I hit my head against the table in rhythm with my words. "MY. MOM. SHE. AUGH!"

"What did she do," A voice asks, and I shriek, jumping halfway out of my seat. Lit against the doorway, Lucas stifles a yawn, pulling his shirt down.

I scramble to my feet. "Shit, did I wake you?"

"Nah. I was up playing flappy bird." Noticing my horribly mortified face, Lucas raises his eyebrows in growing curiosity, and I can only hope that he hasn't heard about my mom's ridiculous Amazon order over the phone. Silently, I vow to give away the box to Popo. I have no desire to open that box now, and it's better off in hands that need it more than I do.

"You do look a little ill," he says, concerned.

I swallow hard. "I might be." Once I tell him about my mom's request, Lucas's face instantly pales into the color of sour milk.

"Your mom... wants to see me?" Lucas croaks, and if I can hear the question mark in his voice, it must speak volumes about his nerves.

"She won't grill you."

Numbly groping around for a chair, Lucas sits down and leans over his knees. "I don't know, Ness."

"Trust me, she's okay with it," I assure him. "And we'll have plenty of time to worry about it after the Championships-"

"When does she want to see me?"

I give a nervous laugh. "Christmas morning...?" Catching his stricken expression, I flail my hands around in the hopes that Lucas won't panic. "It's no big deal! She probably wants to catch up and eat breakfast with us. You've always been invited to celebrate the holidays with our family."

"Not like this though. I mean, we're...," Lucas pauses as if struggling with the thought. "She thinks that we're  _dating."_

"Yeah."

"And your mom is really okay with that?"

I grimace. "I told her earlier that we weren't really in a relationship, but you know,  _parents._  We're gonna break up in a month, so if she asks, I guess just go along with it."

Lucas swallows. "That's not reassuring, Ness."

"My mom's cool with it. She only had trouble coming to terms with it at first. I'm surprised that she's coping with it pretty well." I laugh quietly under my breath. "A month ago, my mom caught my dad cheating on her with another guy. Turns out, my dad had been hiding in the closet the entire time. I just wish he came clean with my mom from the beginning."

"I can imagine," Lucas says quietly.

"Nah, we're better off without him in our lives." I give him a furtive side glance. "By the way - DON'T YOU DARE TELL HIM THIS - but I'm glad Popo gave me that final push out. I hated being stuck in the closet, and Popo knew that I was agonizing over it-"

"He did?"

"I'm still bi," I say honestly. "I think that's why my mom took in the news better."

Lucas shifts over uncomfortably. "You should be more careful around Popo."

I roll my eyes. "Popo? He's a big doofus-"

"I don't trust him."

"I know! Seriously!" I scowl. "Remind me to murder him when this entire thing is over."

To my delight, this puts a ghost of a smile on Lucas's face. "Duly noted."

I glance at him, and notice that Lucas has faithfully returned to playing  _Flappy Bird_  on his phone. "You're taking all of this in awfully well," I comment, and Lucas gives a funny spasm that resembles a shrug. Grinning like an idiot, I sit down next to him.

"Your hair's getting long," he comments offhandedly.

"We should tell your dad," I say quietly.

Lucas's phone screen sadly trills with a  _GAME OVER._ I can feel his unease ripple through our empathy link. "Why."

"Since everyone thinks that we're together, my mom says that we should come clean to our parents-"

"We're not telling my dad."

"Lucas, it's all over the news. Your dad's got to be stupid if he doesn't think that we've been dating under his nose. If I don't at least  _tell_  him, he's going to  _murder_  me," I wail, but pleading the fifth doesn't do squat.

"He doesn't have to know," Lucas says tersely.

"We could at least tell him this is a joke-"

"I'll tell him later. I don't think my..." Lucas swallows. "I don't think he'll understand." He sounds uneasy, so reluctantly I drop the subject. Now that he mentions it, I don't think we've discussed if his dad's okay with this fake relationship. My heart sinks. It's taken my mom a little time, a few days at the very least, but I've taken both of my parents for granted. For all I know, Lucas's dad might not be as accommodating to the thought of his son being not-so-straight, and reminded of the AK47 shoved into my face, I shudder. Something about Lucas's tone implies that I'll get more than a rifle to the face the next time I bump into his dad.

But this also makes me feel like shit because I've practically pulled Lucas out of the frying pan and into the fire. Damn it, I knew I shouldn't have pulled out this wild card!

"We can change plans," I offer hesitantly, but Lucas shakes his head.

"No, no, this is okay," he says quickly. "I just have to figure out what to tell him. But we're not meeting him now."

"That's fine," I say firmly, and when Lucas looks noticeably relieved, I give him what I hope is a reassuring squeeze of his hand. "Last day. You ready to train?"

"Let me get dressed first," Lucas responds, gesturing at his pajama pants.

"That's a fashion statement if I ever saw one," I say seriously, and rolling his eyes in good humor, Lucas trudges into the bathroom. As I wait for him to finish up, my phone chirps with an email notification. I swallow, recognizing the name of the contact.

One message. From my dad.

As rueful I was with Popo for kicking me out of the closet, if there was one Greater Good that resulted from this entire mess, it was the relief that came along with it. I no longer had to lie. I no longer had to pretend to be someone I was not. Coming out had lifted a great weight from my chest, because I'd finally come to terms with myself. It was no longer my burden to carry.

Grudgingly, I think a part of me could understand why my dad left. By the time he'd come to terms with himself, he was too late, already several years too deep into a marriage with kids. Unwilling to hurt my mom's feelings, he'd tried pushing the secret down in the hopes that she'd never find out.

Except that he couldn't bear to live a lie forever.

In hindsight, my parents wouldn't have stayed together for long. The divorce was probably for the best, though that didn't make me resent my dad any less. I wished he hadn't dragged it out with my mom. Coming out of the closet was one thing, but having an affair with someone else behind her back was the stupidest move he could've pulled.

And the weirdest part? How surreal this whole thing still sounds. Some days I wake up, and feel as if my parents' divorce had never happened. That my dad hadn't stormed out of our house a month ago, fists clenched and teary-eyed. That he hadn't cut off all connection with us.

Yet, in a way, he hadn't. He'd kept in touch. He'd sent Tracy a pair of pretty earrings last week to congratulate her on her good grades, and even now, I receive random notifications about strange deposits of dollar bills sitting in my bank account.

Then there was this gold nugget in my email inbox.

_**I'm here if you want to talk.** _

It's funny how such a simple seven word sentence could keep me thinking all morning. One email. Seven words. Dated at 8:22 AM. Dad sent this email in during work. He's always terribly busy, holed up in his tiny-ass cubicle and slaving away at the usual nine-to-five-plus-overtime, but somehow, he's found the time to type this up. It's just a measly seven words, but again,  _HE DIDN'T HAVE TO SEND ME ANYTHING_. No doubt he's heard about the shitshow that was my PREVIEW interview, but none of that should've mattered to him. He could've ignored me. He could've tried caring less.

I wished that he was easier to hate.

But as hard as I've tried, HATING has never been my forte. Sure, I groan and gripe a lot about people, but none of my complaints are a result of some deep-seated root of ill-will. People make mistakes. We've all derped up at some point, and we've all done something stupid at least once in our lives. Forgive and forget. Move on.

Then Lucas ambles over, fully dressed in his t-shirt and jeans. "You ready," he asks, and I pocket my phone. One thing at a time. Tomorrow's the Championships. I can figure out messy family stuff later.

For now, I'm just glad I have this idiot next to me.

I slug Lucas in the shoulder. "Let's go."

Lucas's mouth quirks up into a hint of a smirk, so I roll my eyes and fumble for his hand. We've agreed on hand-holding to keep up pretenses, but fake relationship aside, today simply feels like another part of the daily grind. That's another plus about Lucas: he's an awkward dork, but he's awkward for all the right reasons.

Even under times of duress, the sense of normalcy he's given me is amazing.

Slowly, Lucas squeezes my hand back, and -  _even if it doesn't mean shit_  - I feel myself grinning widely like an idiot. Still, there's a part of my chest that aches -  _because as much I want it, it's never going to happen_ \- but this is good enough. If we fake this relationship long enough, long enough for Lucina to make up with her dad, maybe for once, everything will work out. My feelings will fade. As loathe as I am to admit it, Popo has pegged one thing right - there's plenty of fish in the sea.

But holding Lucas's hand in mine, it's hard to deny it: I've never wanted anyone else so much in my life.

We head down to the training rooms. Occasionally, Smashers hurry across our path, and catching sight of our held hands, oddly fall silent.

And just like that, the teasing dies down. It's as if everyone's accepted the fact that we're dating, so quickly, so easily. Which is crazy when you think about it. You'd think that at least one person would call us out on our bogus, especially since Lucas is top tier on the list of  _QUESTIONABLY ASEXUAL_  and  _HARDEST PERSON TO ASK OUT ON A DATE EVER_ , but what the heck, I'll gladly take any excuse if it means no more cat-calling.

"I can't believe you ditched me in the Singles Club," Popo mourns, pretending to sob on my shoulder during breakfast, and runs off cackling when I punch him in the shoulder.

I guess Lucas was right. I react to everything too easily. Okay, maybe A LITTLE too easily. Most of the Smashers probably wanted to rile me up for their own amusement, and for some goddamn reason, everyone likes seeing me get flustered. I don't get it. Apparently my embarrassment is... entertaining? Well, that's good to know. I can almost see myself through their eyes:  _Up next on five, we have the walking talking Dinner Entertainment: Ness the One-man show._  Oh yeah, they'd love it for sure.

That said, the Championships are tomorrow. Everyone's wrapping their strategies up. No time to gawk over who's dating who. Thank. Fucking. Palutena.

So Lucas and I spend the morning beating up CPUs.

If I have to be completely honest here, I'm worried about our performance. Over the past few weeks, we've trained, but we haven't exactly trained  _together._  Since our practice match against Fox, I can't recall the last time Lucas has shared his telepathy with me. I can't even recall the last time he's even  _used_  it, which sucks because I can't always predict what move he's about to pull before he calls it out, and in a battle where one second could mean life or death, telepathy is gold.

So I bring it up to him.

And Lucas instantly shoots me down.

What. The Hell. Lucas never had a problem with sharing his thoughts with me on the battlefield before. I mean, it's not a huge deal, we can always call out to each other during a brawl, but Lucas's sudden vehemence strikes me as odd. Come to think of it, he's had a difficult time with  _all_  of his powers lately. If that isn't weird, I don't know what is.

So when Lucas sweeps his hands, but flusters, failing to produce his fifth PK Fire, I decide to intervene. "What's up?" I ask him, concerned.

Lucas shakes his head, bent double over his knees. "I don't... I don't know."

"Are you feeling nervous?"

"A little."

I immediately understand. Psychic powers sound all super cool and awesome and  _whoosh!,_  but only if they  _work._  Since our powers depend on our mental state, any emotional upheaval can make controlling our powers difficult. I think of the weeks before, of my crush on Lucas and how my empathy link went crazy, and it's all I can do not to groan and bury my face into my hands out of mortification. Stupid hormones.

In short, puberty sucks, and being gay sucks. Or bi. Whatever.

"Maybe you should take a break," I say firmly, and while Lucas looks less than happy to take a breather, I convince him to get some water. I don't fault him. He's nervous, because who else in the whole wide world would ever pretend to date their same sex friend in front of the press for like, FOREVER? Exactly. Truth be told, I'd be pretty surprised if Lucas  _wasn't_  nervous. So when he leaves the room, I've realized that I've lost my one-and-only sparring partner for the next couple of minutes.

Well.

Now what.

Somewhere in the corner of my mind, there's a voice nagging me to make up lost time to train, train, train but hardcore cramming would only be detrimental to my performance. Trust me, I've learned the hard way that resting well is also an important part of conquering tournaments.

A flash of green catches my eye, and I jolt back up to my feet, because I've just spotted the one person whom I've wanted see. I burst out of my training room yelling his name just as he walks by.

Link turns around in surprise. "Ness?"

"I need to ask you something real quick," I hurriedly say, antsy on my feet. "Can we go talk somewhere private? If you're not busy."

When Link gives an uncertain glance at Zelda, who returns the look with an encouraging nod and a squeeze on his arm before brushing past both of us, he turns to me with a smile. "Sure thing. Lead the way."

We end up in one of the unused training rooms. I close the door and turn to face Link nervously, and he uncrosses his braced arms to let them hang loosely at his sides. "What's up?"

"I have a question I was hoping you could answer-" I nervously glance around in case of any eavesdroppers. "-about relationships."

At this, Link laughs kindly. "No guarantees, but I'll do my best."

My heart gives a pang. "It's a lot more complicated than you think-"

"It's a little too early to tell, but I'd say that you're doing just fine," he grins, indicating towards the door with his head. "I'm glad that you're trying to take this seriously."

 _Not if the relationship is a fucking joke,_  I want to say, but I can't afford to blow our cover, and even if I  _maybe_  wanted to, Link's expression does me in. He looks so pleased over our recent development that I can't exactly find the will to kame-hame-ha his hopes to pieces and ask him for advice on my predicament.

Curse my soft heart.

"So what did you need me for?" Link's curious voice pokes into my ears, and I snap out of it with a jolt. Well shit, if I can't tell him the truth, then I'd better BS another question on the spot.

"I-I was wondering," I squeak, then hastily clear my throat of nerves. "How... How the hell do you fucking relationship?"

Link shoots me a sly look, and for some stupid reason, my face starts to heat up because I'm not  _actually_ dating Lucas, and even if I were, that was a pretty fucking stupid question to ask.  _How the hell do you fucking relationship?_  Really? Out of all the questions in the world, I chose the most useless one to ask. I might as well have asked Link how the fuck to fly.

Thankfully, Link doesn't point out my lapse in stupidity. "Well, you know him-"

"Uh, not really."

"You've known him for a while," Link corrects himself. "You enjoy his company, so start off by hanging out with him more often. Go to the movies. Grab lunch together."

Okay, so stuff we already do. Easy stuff.

Cool.

I relax. This admittedly makes me even more curious about Link's lasting relationship with Zelda, because it's so goddamn  _perfect._  They're not just a power couple - they're THE power couple of SMASH history - and it's easy to see why. Each one of them is a talented all-star, but together, they're so super modest about their exploits that it humbles everyone else to shame. I'd seriously consider converting if someone told me they were some ancient descendant of the holy messiah.

Of course, because I clearly can't keep my mouth shut, this compels me to ask another intrusive question. "What did you do on your first date?"

"I fought Ganondorf." When I give Link a wary look, Link gives me a sheepish laugh. "Right. At any rate, context applies. I suggest you not to beat up my arch-nemesis. I don't think that'd earn you any favors from your boyfriend." With a small  _hmm_  of thought, Link claps a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Then... be yourself."

 _"Really?"_  I blurt out before my sarcasm filter can catch up with my mouth. Embarrassed, I shut up, and Link's grin widens.

"Yes, really."

"I don't know how to do that," I lament. "I don't even know how to act around him-"

"Don't overcomplicate it. If you really like him, then it'll show naturally." To my own mortification, my cheeks flare up, and Link grins. "Yep, just like that. Well, I hope you found this talk useful, but in all honesty, I think you've got this one right in the bag."

When Link apologetically straps on his leg braces, I know that the conversation is over. Sure enough, he says, "I think I've left poor Zelda waiting for me long enough. Remember, be yourself, take the relationship seriously, and you'll be fine. Don't slack off on the Championships, all right?" He pats my dumbstruck form in the back before walking out, and realizing that Lucas has probably returned from his detour, I quickly hurry back to our training room.

"Shit, sorry, I lost track of time," I swear when I spot Lucas practicing against a CPU Marth.

"I just got back. You didn't miss much," Lucas says absentmindedly, blocking another sword strike, and my chest aches. Then the depression suddenly sinks in, and I guess Link's words have really hit home because I know I want something that I clearly can't have.

Worse still, when we wrap up our training session and notice Lucina and Pittoo training together on the way out, looking tired but perfectly okay, it makes me feel stupid for panicking and asking Lucas out on a fake relationship. Once again, to no one's surprise, Lucas was right. Lucina CAN take care of herself.

I close my mouth in shame. What was I thinking _?_  I need to start thinking before diving headfirst into something, I really do, because this can seriously have dire consequences. I hate lying, I can't lie to save my life, but now I've found myself stuck in a bear trap with a nice fucking bow on top. Faking a relationship? Without Lucas figuring out my crush on him? I've really put my foot in my mouth this time.

But when we hear raised voices, Lucas and I barely have time to exchange a glance before Chrom storms out of the training rooms, seething with a rapidly pleading Robyn in tow. A second later, Lucina darts into the hallway, eyes red from crying, but when she spots me, and somehow manages to offer a small smile that lightens up the bags underneath her eyes before hurrying away, I find myself not regretting my decision.

I feel for her. I really do.

Still, there's fleeting looks and whispers when Lucas and I sit in for lunch, so I elbow Lucas in the ribs and mutter for a better change of scenery. Thankfully, he agrees and silently follows me to the penthouse.

Stepping off the elevator, the first thing that hits me is the view. We can see every inch of the entire metropolis over the edge. It's a wonder why no one comes up here to eat for lunch. Guess old habits die hard.

"Wow," I breathe.

Lucas looks over my shoulder, and wrinkles his nose. "There's no trees," he says, as if the very thought of no greenery is offensive to his eyes.

"There's one up here," I point out, dragging him towards the shade. We end up sitting in a small, secluded corner across from the swimming pool. It makes a nice change from the noise of the cafeteria, and Lucas has just started eyeing his own unwrapped sandwich with interest when I suddenly remember something  _very_  important.

"What about the dare?" Lucas asks vaguely when I bring it up.

"You lost. Doesn't that mean I get to dare you back?"

Realization quickly flashes across Lucas's face before crawling down his neck in a deep flush. "It wasn't an actual dare," he says lamely.

"Don't give me that shitty excuse," I grin, glancing at his now beet-red face. "You said that I couldn't kiss you, and I did!"

"I didn't think you'd do it," he says exasperated.

"But I  _did."_  My grin widens. "Now it's my turn."

Lucas sighs, lowering his sandwich. "Fine. What's your dare."

I bite down on my lip. I want to kiss him. Even more, I want  _him_  to kiss  _me,_  but there's no way Lucas is ever going to continue a Part Two of the kissing competition in a million fucking years, and I know better than to ask.

So I take the time to study him. Lucas quickly averts his eyes under my scrutiny, and I notice that his flush has spread to the back of his arms. He's embarrassed, and for some reason, that makes me want to touch him even more. I wonder if his face feels as hot as it looks, and I dig my fingers into my palms before I can do something I'll regret.

My empathy link tingles.

"I want you," I say quietly.

Lucas's face turns the deepest shade of crimson I'd ever seen. "Th-that's, uh, that's not a dare-"

"-to give me a hug! Giving someone a good hug is a lot harder than it sounds!" I blurt out quickly, feeling my cheeks spike up in warmth. Damn it, can I go  _one_  minute without almost blowing my own cover? "So I dare you to hug me. As friends."

Lucas quickly nods. "Right. As friends."

Recognizing his own embarrassment gives me the courage to laugh and open my arms. "Go on," I say, grinning.

Lucas hesitantly lifts his own arms up like a zombie sleep walker. He looks as awkward as hell. "I don't... I don't know how to h-hug-" he stammers.

A fucking wide grin rests on my face, and I drop my arms. "Then I win!" I crow. "That's two dares for me!"

"You haven't won yet," Lucas insists stubbornly, furrowing his brow as if thinking  _how the hell_  to hug someone, and I grin because I know Lucas  _hates_  losing as much as I do. He practices making a few attempts at a weird, half-baked scooping gesture in midair before his shoulders slump over in defeat. "Um..."

I take pity on him, and gently steer one of his awkwardly hovering hands over one of my shoulders. "Drape your other arm over my other shoulder," I command, and Lucas hesitantly reaches out with his other hand. My skin tingles where his palm tentatively brushes against the top of my shoulder, before Lucas slowly slides his whole arm over.

"Is this good?" he asks.

I glance at his face. There's still a good foot between us. Lucas's arms are as rigid as two rods, and his back is as stiff as a ruler. Catching his lost deer-in-the-headlights expression, I duck my head in a snort of laughter. "You don't like hugs, do you?"

Lucas sheepishly drops his eyes. "My brother's always been the better hugger," he says softly.

"You can't be  _better_  at hugging. That's like arguing who's better at walking or who's better at breathing," I declare, and Lucas cracks a small smile at that. When I shift in to close the gap, Lucas flusters and scoots back at the same pace. Taking that as a cue for his discomfort, I stop. "This is one weirdass hug, but I'll take it," I grin, shaking his arms off and looking up at his face. "Now, we're even."

Lucas plaintively pushes his hand into my laughing face. "I told you I don't hug people."

"I think you hug just fine," I say honestly.

Red-faced, Lucas drops his eyes and unwraps his sandwich.

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~oO0Oo~

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It's almost early evening when Lucas and I trail back down from the penthouse. Today's the day before D-Day, and everyone's lazily sprawled out in the lobby watching Captain Falcon's giant-set Plasma TV. I realize that Link and Zelda are cuddled up together in one of the giant sofas, and when Link murmurs and kisses Zelda lightly on her hair, my heart gives a sudden pang. Link, Zelda, Lucina, Pittoo... all of these couples look so happy, so genuinely happy, that it makes me feel  _jealous._

Then I feel like a horrible prick for begrudging them of their happiness, and my heart sinks. I don't know what's more pathetic, the fact that I can't get over my own feelings, or how selfish I've been for stringing Lucas along on this stupid plan. The more I touch him, the more I hold his hand... the more I  _want_  him. But I can't because Lucas is my friend, and I've got to make that pretty clear.

A rejection is a rejection, and I know better than to cross that line.

So I grin and nudge Lucas towards a spare inch of floor, and he dutifully sits down. No one calls us out. It's fucking noisy everywhere, but it's the good kind of noisy that thrums through my bones and makes me feel alive.

A fuming Pittoo squeezes past us with Lucina, ranting all the while, "-you hear that? The reporter. Called me. A fucking clone. I'll show  _him_  what a clone is!"

"Still in denial?" Ganondorf asks, an amused smile curling up at the corners of his mouth, and Pittoo flips him the bird before Lucina rolls her eyes and ushers her boyfriend away to the elevators.

"A night like this calls for a good beer," Captain Falcon cheerfully declares, raising a treasure six-pack. "Who's up for some  _Dos Equis?_ "

Pit nervously eyes the six-pack. "Captain, I don't think we're allowed to drink during the games-"

"It's the day before, Pit. Let him pregame," Samus says nonchalantly, flicking dust off her suit.

Captain Falcon beams at her. "Samus-"

"Buddy boy," she says, smirking. "Bayonetta and I are going to destroy you in the first round."

This leads to a chorus of  _'Oooohs'_  and a ' _she just called you out, son!'_

Captain Falcon roars with laughter. "Not likely, Sam. I bet Olimar and I can take you two ladies downtown."

"Oh, I'm sure that we'd put up a good fight," Olimar says reasonably. A crowd of Pikmin bob around him, chirping incessantly in terror of the booming TV, and when Olimar kindly leads them away from the speakers, a dark six inch heel grinds itself in front of the plasma screen.

"Hit me up, darling," Bayonetta purrs underneath her sexy hooded eyelashes, and crowing out a  _Stay thirsty, my friends,_  Captain Falcon begins handing out bottles to everyone in the crowd.

"Captain, you got any for me?"

"None for the minors, I'm afraid," Captain Falcon says joyously.

"But I'm turning eighteen in a month," Popo moans. "Take pity, Cap."

"Sorry, Popo. I'm a speedster, but rules are rules. Master Hand would have my head faster than Sonic could loop around the Mansion."

"Um, excuse me? I bet I could beat that claim," Sonic retorts.

Then a loud tune blasts our ears, and the Sports Channel blares onto the screen.

_**"Good evening again, Smash City! This is Mii reporter, Tom, signing in live from Sports News. Here tonight joining me is retired boxing champion and professional athlete trainer, Jerome Louis. Nice to have you on the show today, Doc."** _

_**"Nah, the pleasure's mine."** _

"Hey, Lil' Mac, it's Doc Louis!" Roy yells, delighted, and everyone shushes him.

_**"Looks like we've got a number of people already crowding the City Square, all ready and fired up for the Winter Championships tomorrow. Say, Doc, w** **hat do you think of the Round One match ups?"** _

_**"Hoo baby, this year's match-ups look as sweet as Hershey's chocolate. Lil' Mac's got some tough competition for sure. Remember, Mac baby, you gotta move fast. Quick feet, Mac! Quick feet!"** _

_**"Wow, talk about favoritism, Doc."** _

_**"I try, I do try."** _

_**"It looks like we've got some promising match-ups. Last year's winners, Nana and Popo, better watch their backs, because it's going to be one fierce competition."** _

_**"I'm curious to see how far Bayonetta and Samus can advance through the rankings."** _

_**"You bet, Doc! And since Meta Knight's forfeited the competition for the second time round, Dedede's paired with Kirby for the time being."** _

_**"Interesting match-up, very interesting! Now, many people don't take the Winter Championships as seriously as the solo battles in the summer, but I think it's fun to see how well these wacky pairings work."** _

_**"Speaking of wacky pairings, Doc, let's talk about the sixth match up on Round One: Marth and Roy versus Ness and Lucas."** _

I involuntarily grip Lucas's hand tighter, but thankfully, Lucas doesn't notice, his eyes glued to the TV screen.

_**"More like Fire Emblem versus Earthbound if yeh ask me."** _

_**"Tell me about it. Doc, despite criticism from online gaming forums, I'd like to think that it's an even match."** _

_**"You know, I agree. Both are experienced teams that have consistently placed in the top five. A favorable stage pick can give a huge edge to either side."** _

_**"Doc, if you were Marth and Roy, what would you fear most from the psychic duo?"** _

_**"Aside from their telepathic powers? Hard to say, Tom. Lucas has a good combo, but Ness has an easier kill. While Lucas's PK Fire pushes opponents away - good for spacing! - Ness's PK Fire is a deadly trap. But I think Marth and Roy have a smashin good chance of victory."** _

_**"Really?"** _

_**"I think Team Fire Emblem's biggest arsenal is Marth's range. His grabs make it difficult for his opponents to space and easy for Marth to gimp. A small stage pick like Yoshi's Island can spell disaster for Ness and Lucas."** _

_**"You bet, doc! Everybody, stay tuned for the match tomorrow at eleven. We'll discuss the next Round - Villager and Red versus Mewtwo and Lucario - after these commercials."** _

The TV starts off with a savage  _Wendy's_  commercial, and everyone dissolves back into frustrated complaints.

"Aw man-"

"That segment was even shorter than the last one-"

I laugh and turn around. "Hey, Lucas, what did you think about-" I blink, confused at the empty space next to me. "Lucas?" I turn around again, but Lucas is nowhere in sight. Where has he slipped off to? And how the bloody hell did I not notice?!

A less-than-happy sight greets me instead. "Lost your boyfriend?" Popo drawls, his eyes alit with a teasing tone.

"He was just here a second ago," I grumble, pushing Popo out of the way. "Now move, you're blocking my way-"

"Wow, rude," Popo says lightly, rolling his eyes. "He was headed off to the bathrooms. Thank you, and you're welcome."

Muttering a grudging thanks underneath my breath ( _Popo shoots me a smirk that I'm tempted to wipe off with my fist_ ), I trudge off. In hindsight, I probably could've waited for Lucas to come back to the lobby, but I'm bursting to tell him what he's missed from the program. So when I skid to a halt by the restrooms and have  _just_  rested my palms against the door, the sound of my name stops me dead in my tracks.

"-facing pressure from your dad."

"Ness already has enough on his plate without worrying about me."

"If it's any consolation, Lucas, I'm sure that Ness is feeling just as scared over this relationship as you are," the voice says kindly, and I quickly recognize it as Link's. "I know that neither of you are experienced, and while it's okay to be afraid, communication is key to maintaining a good relationship."

"I turned him down before-"

"Because you weren't ready for a relationship, and you let him know. Talk to him," Link adds sternly, and I can imagine Lucas closing his mouth. "I can't stress how important communication is. You need to be sure that you're both on the same page, and it's not fair to the other person if you leave them hanging."

"It... it's not right. Starting this relationship was a mistake," Lucas mumbles, and my heart sinks, but he doesn't seem finished yet. "All I do is hurt him. Ness... Ness deserves someone better."

What. I've got half the mind to barge in and punch the sense into this idiot before Link beats me to it - albeit in a more pacifist-like way.

"Then be that person for him."

There's a painstaking pause. Then with the sound of shoes shuffling against the bathroom tiles, Lucas mutters something incoherent under his breath.

"It sounds to me like you already have your answer," Link says, and I can almost hear the smile in his voice. "If you want something out of this relationship, you need to tell him, Lucas. Ness can't read your mind."

By this point, the conversation seems to be wrapping up. There's a little more talking, a reassuring tone, a couple more words that fall empty on my ears.

My heart is pounding. My head feels light-headed.

Slowly, I back away from the door.

Then I turn and run.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

.

I return to the noisy lobby to wait for Lucas, my breath stuck in my throat, my eyes wide as fucking saucers. Link returns first, sliding back into place next to a soft-spoken Zelda, who murmurs gentle words and rests her hand on top of his.

When Lucas appears back to my side a little later, apologizing that he had to use the bathroom, I smile and fill him in what he missed. But in the inside, I'm shaking because I'm so fucking nervous, I love him so so much, but this all seems too good to be true, and for once, I don't want to be hasty. I don't want to ruin this. Whatever...  _this_  is. Not exactly friends. More than roommates. I'm not quite sure what we are at this point.

We decide that the show's over, so we leave the lobby and ride the elevator back to the tenth floor suites. During the entire ride up, not a word is exchanged, but I've lost all the feeling in my legs, and my knees are shaking like no tomorrow. As silent as a ghost, Lucas stands next to me, staring aimlessly at the elevator doors.

 _Do you like me?_  I want to ask him, but the words get clogged up in my mouth. I feel like such a pansy for chickening out, but I don't trust myself to talk. Not this time.

Because I know what I want.

But knowing what  _Lucas_  wants is a different story. The wheels are reversed, and this time, Lucas needs to take the initiative, because I don't know  _what_  he wants. I'm willing to support him, I'm willing to make this relationship real, but I can't do either if he won't make up his mind. I've always made the first move, but now, this time, I don't want to pressure him into doing something we'll both regret.

It's all so confusing. Just when I think I'm getting over him, I realize that maybe I don't have to be, and while I'm figuring out how hard of a time Lucas is having, realizing that he might  _like_  me with maybe not as supportive of a dad, I'm not sure what I can do for him. I'm not sure, and it's so frustrating because Lucas thinks that he has to slug through tough times on his own. It's frustrating, how  _considerate_  he's trying to be, and it's frustrating because he spends too much time overthinking things, overanalyzing things, overcomplicating things. His indecision is killing me, and I find myself almost wishing for another solid rejection. Almost. Anything's better than being strung along.

I can wait. I'm willing to wait.

But I can't wait forever.

I dig my nails into my palms. I don't want to keep my hopes up. I don't want to be disappointed a second time, so I close my mouth and try to keep down the feelings bubbling up my throat. Still, I know I'm failing miserably because my hands are turning sweaty, a part of my heart's beating like the giant Chinese drum on New Years, and underneath all the confusion, I'm flying over the fucking moon like a unicorn farting rainbows because maybe - just maybe - my unrequited love isn't so unrequited after all.

"You're awfully quiet," Lucas notes when I unlock the front door to our suite, and I freeze up, instantly feeling like I'm trapped in one of my sister's stupid virtual BL Novels.

_**Your crush has spoken to you! How do you respond?** _

_**A. Flirt** _

_**B. Kiss him** _

**_C. Compliment him_ **

**_D. aSDFGHKLKJKL-_ **

None of the above. I swallow down the lump in my throat. "Uh, I. I don't mean to burst your bubble on day one, but I don't think this fake relationship's going to work out."

Lucas blinks. He turns his head away. "I don't think so either," he murmurs, pushing the door open.

"I-I," I stammer.

Lucas's eyes shift back to mine. His expression is as unreadable as always.

"I call first shower," I say quickly, hurrying into the apartment.

Lucas's shoulders slump over. "Sure," he mumbles, shuffling after me and shutting the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In canon, Ness's dad is jokingly referred to as a phone, because his character pays homage to the busy Japanese husbands who never have time for their families (Based off of Itoi's own father). Despite this, I've always seen Ness's dad as an important supporting character, and while it's a twist to make him gay to fit the plot of this fic, I do believe that he does genuinely care for his son.
> 
> Meta Knight forfeited from the Winter Championships... because I put Nana and Popo in one team by themselves. Disadvantageous? Probably, but oh well. And I did my best to squeeze in another line of Bayonetta ;) 
> 
> As strange as it sounds, I do try to take your reviews into consideration, and though I make the last judgement call, I'm also open to any Nesscas suggestions to include into this awkward parody/realistic/shitpost of a fic. Because. Quoth The Ness, "How the hell do you fucking relationship?"
> 
> Also
> 
> I CANT
> 
> get THIS CHAPTER right
> 
> agH


	20. To Make You Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas dreams about the truth...  
> Mostly.

_**~Prologue~** _

A roaring crowd. Flashes of light. Rolling cameras. Action.

Loud yells and cheers bombard my ears.

An intense game of sheets, stones, and clippers. Marth, sheets. Ness, stones. Final stage pick: Yoshi's Island.

The announcements are quick. Team captains, bow. Shake hands. May the best Smasher win.

Serious-faced, Ness makes his way to the teleporters. His eyes burn with a fire that sets my own nerves ablaze.

Let the 6th match of the Single-Elimination Tournament begin.

Ready? Countdown.

Three...

Two..

One.

GO!

.

.

.

* * *

.

.

.

~ _ **Chapter Twenty**_ ~

_**To Make You Happy** _

.

.

.

* * *

We lost.

The given time was 8 minutes. The actual duration of our match: 1 minute, 35.2 seconds. The final score: 5-1. Each person had held 3 stocks. Ness had managed to knock off a stock from Roy in the last five seconds of the fray - the only point our team scored.

It's easily our worst performance of the season.

Sensing that all was not as it seemed, Marth and Roy had tried haggling with the referee for a rematch, but rules were rules, a win was a win, and declining their protests, Ness was a good sport over their victory.

If my powers hadn't... if I could've controlled them better...

Encouraging a grumpy ropesnake back into hibernation  _(Ugh,_   _I'm ssssso sssssleeeepy)_ , I tuck him under my bed covers and glance at the closed bathroom. The shower's running. It sounds as if Ness is trying to drown himself in there.

Miserable at our loss, I sit down at the dinner table. So many mistakes. So many saves I  _could've_  made, so many times my powers should've worked but  _didn't_. The loss is a frustrating hit to my own pride. If we had to have gone down, it should've been after we gave it our all. This loss was downright shameful. Devastating, even.

And Ness.

 _Don't mind, don't mind. One loss isn't the end of the world,_  he'd said, clapping me in the back, but I had to be blind not to notice the rapid way he was blinking. As soon as we'd returned to the suites, he'd made a beeline straight for the bathroom. Ness was just as upset over our loss, but I didn't have the heart to call him out on it. He probably wanted to cry alone.

Deciding to give him some space, I trudge out of the apartment.

But everywhere I go is a reminder of the ongoing games, and not in the mood to bump into anyone, I'm at a loss to where to go. The library? Maybe there. With luck, it'll be empty with people celebrating their wins or mourning their losses. Just as I take a step in the direction, a loud cackle stops me in my tracks.

**"HI lUCaS! i sAW tHAt MAtCH! cRAZy, hUH? bET tHaT lOSS STinGs!"**

"Crazy Hand," I groan.

**"cRAzy hOW tHInGs wENt DOwN sOuTh! iT wAS hILArIOUS! aND thE tWO oF yOU kNOcKinG eACh oThER oUt wITh tHAT pk tHUnDeR? oUCH! i bET yOU tWO juSt sET A RECorD fOR tHE fAsTESt mATCH, EveR!"**

"What do you want," I say wearily.

**"AnD dONT YOU lOOk dIStrAUghT! wELL, nOT aS DiSTraUGHt AS mY bROtHEr dId wHEn hE lOSt yOUr CARtRidGE-"**

I snap up. "My... cartridge?"

Crazy Hand twitches erratically.  **"DiD i sAy THaT? OoPSIE! fORGEt i SAiD aNyTHInG!"**

"What about my cartridge? I thought Master Hand had already kept one for record," I say sharply.

 **"aHH, i nEVeR sAID nUThin'!"**  He tries to make a break for it, but I quickly grab him back by the pinky.

"Crazy, how did Master Hand lose my cartridge?"

**"oOOh nO, mY BRoTheR wILL bE sO UpSET iF i sPiLL tHe bEAns!"**

"I'm not letting go until you tell me!"

Crazy Hand wriggles around in my hold.  **"yOU cANt tELL mE wHAt tO dO! iM A FReE HaND!"**  he screeches.

I grimly tighten my hold. "If you tell me about the cartridge, then I won't tell Master Hand that you let it slip."

 **"AhhH, BLAckMaiL, eH? CLEvER. i sEE hOw iT iS. i scRatCH yOuR bAcK, YoU sCrAtCH mY HaNd."**  Crazy gives a loud cackle.  **"oKeE dOkiE! tHE mOre wHO KNOw, tHe meRRieR! yOu aSK Me aBOUt tHE _MoTHeR 3_  cARtRidGe? thErE'S onLy oNe iN tHE WHoLE wIDE WOrLD! tWAs cIRcLInG aROUnd cOLLecTinG dUst iN sOMe oBscUrE bLAcK maRKet uNTil mY dEAr BrO-brO fINaLLy trACkEd iT dOWn. dOnt thInk tHe dEALER rEAllY kNEW whAT iT wAs tOO, oR eLse hE wOUld'VE hAGGLed fOr A HiGHeR PRiCE. StiLL, mY BRo pAId A hEFtY sUm fOR iT!"**

"The night Ness and I stood guard at the arcade," I say slowly. "I heard police sirens."

**"YOu bETcHA! tHErE WAs a BrEAK-iN aT tHe OneTT bAnK! THe SHArks cREateD A nICe DIVErsIon fOr tHE MEDia, bUt thE rEAl CRIme tOOk pLacE iN tHe lOcaL MUsEUm - a cRIme ThAT OnLY tHE sELecT fEW iNVOlVEd woULd kNOw oF."**

"The museum? Why-"

 **"iT WaS oUR dROP-oFF pOInT!"**  Crazy Hand cries, wildly waving his fingers.  **"tHe dEALeR sHOWEd uP, bUT tHEre WAs aN InteRcEPtIOn. oUR AGenT wAS aMBUshED, aND sOMEoNE rOBBed tHE dEALer. bY tHE TImE oUr aGEnT aLERteD uS tO THiS BLASpHEmY, wE wErE ToO lATe. sOMeONe hAD AlReaDY RUn oFF wIth tHe pRofIt aNd tHe _MoM 3_  CArTRiDge. wE wERe OUTsmaRtED! sMaLL wONDeR mY bROThER iS PeeVED!" **Catching my horrified expression, Crazy Hand gives a hysterical laugh.  **"** **a SHAmE, rEALLY! THaT CARtrRiDGE'S gOT yOUr eNTiRE LifE HisTORy iN iT! WhOEVeR sToLE iT iS pRObABLy hAvING A bLAsT, kNoWinG THaT thEY hAVe yOUr DEEPesT DARkesT SECreTS iN tHEiR hANds! LIKe wHAT hAPpeNED tO yOUr pREciOuS BROthER-"**

"Claus? You know where-"

 **"aH, aH! yOU sAId YoU WanTed INforMaTioN aBOUt The CARtrIdGE, aND iVe toLd yOU eVERytHinG i KnoW! tOODLee-doo!"** With a spasmic wave, Crazy Hand wriggles himself free and zooms away, leaving me to stew in my own frustration.

Still, Crazy's words have gotten my mind racing, and for the first time, I'm in the running. In curing my supposed amnesia, I'm stuck back in square one, but now, I have a few more hints to work with, and there's a part of me that holds on to the slimmest chance that maybe... Claus  _is_  out there somewhere. Alive. I just have to find him.

But first, I have to get my hands on the  _Mother 3_  cartridge. I'm extremely uneasy with the thought of someone else in possession of my past, especially when there's odd gaps and blanks in my own memory, and with the sudden possibility of finding Claus alive, there's no way I'm letting this chance blow past me. Reinvigorated by the sudden resolve, I dive into the library.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

It's no use. I've struggled through a daunting pile of books _,_  and the closest mention I'd gotten about the  _Mother 3_  cartridge is a passing mention of  _Mother 3_  itself:  _"Of the represented franchises localized in the United States, Mother 3 is the only notable exception_." I've incessantly refreshed Google pages all night for the hopes that someone might have slipped, might have tried selling it on Ebay, but there's no trace of the cartridge at all.

This only rattles me further. If there hasn't been a mention of the cartridge on social media by now, then the person who has most likely stolen my cartridge is hoping to keep it for themselves. Hopefully not for the sake of malicious intent. It's all I can hope for.

One step forward, two steps back.

I'm making no progress.

At some point, I must've fallen asleep again because I'm jarringly awoken by the cold table periodically tickling my cheek. The main perpetrator of the crime continues to vibrate, and with an incoherent groan, I fumble for it, slapping my hand against the table until I grope for the phone buzzing under my palm. Geh, telemarketers.

The incessant buzzing fades, and my screen lights up with a flood of missed texts.

_**Nuss 11:45PM  
** Hi fam its almost curfew where u at_

_**Nuss 11:53PM** _  
_Lucas_  
_hey_  
_buddy pal compadre_  
_are you alive?_  
_all in favor of the notion say 'aye'_

 _**Nuss 12:00AM** _  
_oh shite its midnight_  
_do u want me to teleport u back_

 _**Nuss 12:15AM** _  
_LUUUUUCAS I HAVE VIDEO GAMES_  
_BOOKS_  
_TREES_  
_THE OPPOSITE OF GLOBAL WARMING_  
_INSERT WHATEVER OTHER STUFF YOU LIKE_

 _**Nuss 12:18AM** _  
_Ok im gonna preted to play the role of 'extremely concerned bf' and get u_  
_youd better thank me for ruining my booty sleep_  
_*booty_  
_*booty_  
_dAMN U AUTOCORRECKT_

 _**Nuss 12:20AM** _  
_aw look at u sleeping in the library so pure n unsnarkylike_  
_its like ur not being a little shit for once_  
_heh here you go ya nerd_  
_**Nuss has sent you an attachment.**_

I tap it open. Unsurprisingly, it's my own sleep deprived self face-planting into a book. I snort, then shoot Ness a text back.

_**Lookas 7:04AM  
** How was your booty sleep?_

His response is prompt.

_**Nuss 7:04AM  
** O fuck u_

 

I quickly press a hand against my mouth, trying to stifle my escaping laughter. I do feel a little bad for leaving Ness hanging overnight though, and when I shift over, registering a slight weight on my shoulders, a blue blanket slides off my back. Patting it clean, I pick it up from the floor. A blazing baseball is sewn onto the hem. This blanket practically has Ness's name scrawled all over it.

The blanket's soft. Really soft.

Suddenly feeling an odd mix of embarrassed and childishly pleased, I bury my face into it like a security blanket. It's nice, really really nice. Smells nice too, like clean fabric softener. I wonder what the blanket is made out of, and when I flip the tag over, I'm unsurprised to find that it's made of 100% cotton.

Then I wonder how long Ness had cried himself out over our match last night, and a heavy weight settles back into my stomach. In my search for the  _Mother 3_  cartridge, I'd completely forgotten about him. I wonder if he ate any of his meals properly yesterday. Probably not. He did say that he was running out of food, and suddenly, the first thing that pops into my mind are the choux cream puffs Ness desperately likes from Paris Baguette. Maybe the cafeteria here miraculously has some lying around, so I rise up, staggering out of the library.

Thankfully, only a few people are loitering around the cafeteria. Samus is already up at this ungodly hour, enjoying her beautiful cappuccino alone by the window. Having returned from his early morning jog on the track field, a sweaty Little Mac refuels himself with scrambled eggs and bacon. Link and Zelda are together at a table for two, and Zelda sits patiently as Link french-braids her hair. Red feeds his Pokemon by the Meatlover's aisle, tending to his Pokemon with soft pats and a gentle touch, and nods once when he catches my eye.

Considering that choux cream puffs have never made it onto the menu, I don't have high hopes to begin with, but what little remains of my hopes are still dashed when I see the lack of a fluffy pastry in the bakery aisle. No choux cream puffs. What do.

Time for a grocery run.

Taking the elevator up to the shopping district on the third floor, I scrounge up some change to buy something Ness might like. Maybe something practical to last him a while. I'm debating over whether or not to buy him a carton of eggs, when the nearest object on sale catches my eye.

Something happy. Something fun.

Barely fifteen seconds later and running my item through a hasty self-checkout, I hurry my way up to the tenth floor suites, but slow down to a sudden halt when my nerves kick in at the sight of the glowing 1010 emblazoned on the door. Suddenly, I feel so childish standing there with a measly 50% OFF  _Costco_  grocery bag at hand, and it's all I can do not to shuffle back onto the red velvet carpet in the hallway and flee for my life. It's stupid really. Ness will eat anything. He's the human garbage disposal.

He'll be happy with whatever I get him.

Satisfied somewhat by this train of thought, I push my way in. Last morning's defeat was a disastrous blow to our morale. I wonder if Ness is out training again. I wonder if he'll eat. I wonder if this would put him in a better mood-

But someone else has already beaten me to it.

There's a bright laugh, and I stop at the sound of voices coming out of the bedroom.

"You did what?!" Ness is cracking up like crazy, gasping for air. "Paula, you can't just sucker-punch someone like that!"

"Well, too bad. The cops weren't around, but I wasn't going to let the Sharks harass her! And don't get started on me, you would've done the same." At this, Ness tries to interrupt her in protest, but Paula continues. "She's in my piano III class too. Her name's Ana."

"Ana?! From  _Earthbound_   _Beginnings?!"_

"Yep, THE one and only Ana. The same one your cousin's dating. Small world I know. Trust me, we've got a lot of minor video game celebrities at our school. Most of us are in my home room."

"Geez, you're almost making me  _want_  to return to school just to get an autograp-Wait, don't change the subject! You sucker-punched a  _Shark._  For god's sake, why didn't you use PSI? YOU'RE A WIZARD, HARRY."

"-but it worked out, didn't it?"

Quietly, I walk over to the kitchen, dropping the box of Coco Puffs on Ness's shelf and pretending that Ness's light-hearted laughter isn't twisting my heart into tiny knots. I'm about to leave it at there, but when I spot Ness's empty bowl sitting on the counter, I can't help but worry. Has he skipped breakfast? I think so. I want to ask, but when I approach the bedroom, judging from his rising voice, it seems like Ness's Skype convo isn't ending any time soon.

"Anyhoo, Tony's going to ride the SkyTrain with me to visit Jeff. How's Jeff doing, by the way? Still tinkering away on his new projects?"

"I dunno, I haven't gotten the chance to catch up with him."

"You're such a star."

"Says the Prom Queen!"

There's another round of laughter, and the knots in my chest constrict tighter. Paula makes a conversation sound so effortless. I can't even remember the last time I've made Ness laugh. It's been a while. A long while.

"Oh, how's your relationship going?"

Ness gives a low groan. "I already told you, it's all fake for the press. Trying to date Lucas is so stressful-"

"Eh?! Look who's talking-"

The words are like a blow to the head. I stagger away from the door, suddenly numb. I can't make Ness happy. I know that I can't. I already knew that I can't.

_Then why did it hurt so much?_

Something rustles in my hand. The plastic grocery bag. I shake off the bag, reaching inside for Ness's blanket. Scrunching up his blanket into a tiny ball, I curl myself around it and squeeze my eyes shut.

I think...

I think I need to take a nap.

.

.

.

Snow coats the Onett baseball field. The trees have shed their leaves. I breathe in. There's a fresh, bitter scent in the air now, cold and snappy like a winter chill to the nose. Pine needles.

Hearing a crunch of leaves, I turn around. There's a lone figure standing on home base.

Ah. Ness.

Slowly, I reach for his hand.

Then Ness whirls around and grins. "Hi, Lucas!" he chirps, apologetically holding up his other hand into view. "Sorry, I can't hold your hand anymore. I'm dating someone else now."

On the other end of their linked hands, Paula beams. "We're a couple!"

"Right! No more fake-dating shit," Ness adds, grinning so widely that my chest aches. "Lucas, I'm so happy. I'm so much happier with Paula."

The words get caught up in my throat. "I thought you liked me."

"Oh, I only thought I did," Ness says carelessly. "You kept running away, so it was easier to move on. I found someone else to love. You were right, me pining after you was all just one silly phase." Still holding onto Paula's hand, Ness glances at me curiously, then gives me a sad smile. "Lucas... after what you made me go through, please don't tell me you've changed your mind."

"I'm sorry I pushed you away," I whisper.

Ness leans in with half-lidded eyes. The purple glow reminds me of stars in a dusklit sky. "So... Lucas, do you like me?"

I break out in cold sweat. "I-"

"Why can't you tell me?"

"I-It... it wouldn't have worked out-"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"We can't, I-"

_"Why didn't you tell me that you bought me CoCo Puffs?!"_

My eyes fly open.

There's a series of tiny  _clinks_  pelting against porcelain, and when I groggily sit up on the couch, Ness gives another huge crow of glee from out of sight. "Fank oo'! I lub dis shtuff," Ness says around his bulging hamster cheeks, before walking around the kitchen wall and returning to the living room. He eagerly nudges me in the arm, offering me his spoon. "Dew wan sum?"

Ness isn't dating Paula.

It had all been a dream.

Then the relief comes crashing down, and I let out a breathless laugh. Vaguely I catch Ness watching me in confusion, but I can't help it, it's so absurd, but I'm so relieved, so glad that he's not taken. When I blink at him, I notice that there's something off about his appearance, but then it takes me a second to realize that Ness is wearing my old oversized shirt - the same dorky one I lent him back at home. Absentmindedly I wonder if it'll smell like him, and I can't say that I'm not pleased with the thought.

Merry Shitscram indeed.

Still disoriented from my nap, it takes me a solid minute to realize that Ness has yet to speak. The lack of words is surprisingly uncharacteristic of him, so when I follow his eyes to the object in my hands, the realization hits me as quickly as the back of my neck burns.

I'm not sure how to handle the mortification crawling into my face, so instead, I grab the entire cereal bowl from Ness's hands and ungracefully drown myself in CoCo Puffs.

Teasing him. Making him indignant. It's easier to swallow down my feelings for him this way.

"Hey, that's mine!" Ness wails, grabbing at my wrists, but still downing his CoCo Puffs, I bat him away, steadily keeping the bowl out of reach. Mm, chocolate and milk and salty unshed tears. Delicious. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I lower the almost-empty bowl, and pulling it towards him, Ness gives a distraught exclamation.

"You... You stole my breakfast! How could you?"

"You offered."

"I didn't mean the  _whole_  thing. Get your own, jackass!"

"Foo late," I say around another crammed mouthful of Coco Puffs.

Ness playfully scowls at me. "Great. Now I have to walk back to the kitchen, open the fridge for milk, then grab  _another_  cereal bowl." But his scowl is so entertaining that I remain unfazed by his complaint, and end up smirking stupidly as Ness starts whining up a storm. He should know better; he'll get no sympathy from me. Finally realizing that his words are having no effect on me, Ness stomps off, his cry trailing after his footsteps. "I hope you're happy, ya jerk!"

"Fank you for the food," I cheerfully call after him.

"Oh, fuck off."

But after he pours himself another bowl of cereal and milk, Ness returns to lean against me on the couch (though he does punch me in the shoulder and tell me to  _shut up_  when I laugh at his disgruntled expression), and all of a sudden, I wonder when I started thinking that Ness sulking was a little cute. Just a little.

Scarfing down his own bowl like a half-starved island survivor, Ness obliviously leans closer towards me, shifting against my side. Involuntarily I find myself pressing back against him.

He's warm. So incredibly warm.

**_Lucas, do you like me?_ **

My throat closes up. I keep my eyes on the cereal bowl in my hands. I can't tell him. Not when things wouldn't work out in the end. Not when I'd rejected him already. Not when he'd said that his feelings had been a fluke. There's no point in starting something that wouldn't end well.

But when I think of Ness dating someone else, the thought is like taking a punch to the stomach, because it's so real, so likely, so true _._  I don't want to see Ness with someone else. I don't want to lose him. It's a selfish thought, but I know better than to act on it. Not when I can't make him happy. I think of his distraught expression when I brushed off his feelings as a phase, and my chest tightens in shame. I couldn't imagine how Ness still went ahead and said it.  _I love you_. It had probably taken him so much courage to have confessed his feelings, a courage I didn't have.

No matter how sound Link's advice, Ness would be better off with someone else.

He could be so much better off with Paula.

I glance in his direction, only to notice Ness staring back at me expectantly. There's this hopeful expression growing on his face, as if he's waiting for me to say-

Oh.

I warily hug my cereal bowl away. "I'm not sharing."

Ness looks like I socked him in the face. "I never even asked," he huffs, turning around to sulk over his loss. Is he pouting again? Curious now, I tilt my head to get a better view of his expression, but Ness stubbornly turns his face away.

"Are you really pouting," I say surprised.

"NO."

Of course he is. "I was kidding, if you don't want cereal, I've got some bread in the cupboard-"

"Nah, I don't want food, I just want-" Catching my eye, Ness swallows then looks away. "Don't worry about it. I'm being dumb," he says, reaching over for the cereal box and pouring himself more Coco Puffs. "By the way, Paula's coming over to Smash City tomorrow."

But tomorrow is a Saturday.

My heart twists into a giant knot. "She's a nice friend," I reluctantly admit.

Ness's face lights up. "The very best," he says happily. "She's finally jumped onto the unlimited texting bandwagon, so we've been in touch a lot more lately."

Please tell me you like me.

"You should catch up with her. I'm sure she misses you," I say quietly.

Please.

"Yeah, she wants to hang out with me this weekend. It'll be awesome! I think Paula wants to update me on some private stuff back home, so yeah... uh, maybe we can hang another time." Scratching the back of his neck, Ness glances apologetically at me. "We'll try to be back in time for Netflix night, but-"

My throat unclogs. "It's okay, take your time catching up."

And when Ness beams, looking relieved, my heart turns to lead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ninten and Ana from MOTHER make a cameo. They exist in this same universe for reasons we'll unearth later :)
> 
> Didn't know whether to put down Fire Emblem under the "not localized in US" category due to the backlash of Fire Emblem Fates, then got lazy and put M3 only instead. Adds to the dramatic factor. HUZZAH!
> 
> Happy reading! :)


	21. TFW I Eat Too Much Cheese Popcorn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ness meets some old friends.

_**~Prologue~** _

"Oh, how's your relationship going?"

"I already told you, it's all fake for the press. Trying to date Lucas is so stressful-"

"Eh?! Look who's talking-"

"You know that I'm still not over him." I nervously glance at the bedroom door, but Lucas doesn't seem to be home. Still, out of sheer habit, I lower my voice. "It's not  _liking_  him that's hard, it's the whole "faking it for the cameras" part that really stresses me out."

"Then you should tell him."

"I'm not telling him! In case you've forgotten,  _he_  rejected  _me!_ "

"No, I have not forgotten," Paula says, sounding increasingly impatient. "Ness, I'm not going to lie, this just sounds like a bad communication problem. If he likes you, and you like him back, there's no reason to play hide-and-seek around your feelings."

I wring my hair in agitation. "See that's the thing, he already  _knows_  that I like him-"

"Was this before or after you said it was all a misunderstanding?" Paula says dryly.

"I'm a horrible actor! Everyone can tell that I still like him!" I wail.

"Apparently everyone  _except_  for him."

"Okay, so maybe he's a little dense," I say feebly.

"Then  _tell_  him outright, for crying out loud."

I drop my head. "I don't get it, Paula. If Lucas really did like me back, then he wouldn't be afraid to tell me himself."

Paula doesn't look pleased. "Honestly, if he doesn't have the balls to confess to your face, then he's not worth pursuing."

"If Lucas hasn't said anything, then he probably has a good reason," I argue stubbornly. This results in me spilling out my heart and soul over what happened over the course of the past week for a  _second_  time, and like the understanding friend she is, Paula still listens in to my dramatic lament of a sob story.

Finally when I take a breather after a particularly long sentence, she interrupts me. "Then why don't  _you_  make the first move?" Paula asks quietly.

"I told you, I don't want to pressure him to come out because of ME. Plus I'm not sure what the deal is with his dad. Have you  _seen_  his dad? His dad's totally ripped like an Olympic bodybuilder-"

"If Lucas truly loves you, then I'm sure that he'll feel more supported than pressured." Paula taps on the keyboard. "I think you should talk to Jeff."

I snap my head up in confusion. "Jeff? Jeff who?"

"Jeff Andonuts.  _Our_  Jeff."

I smack myself on the forehead. "Oh, Jeff! Duh."

"I've been in touch with him more recently. If I remember, he had to iron out a rough patch with Tony before they got back together. So yeah, Jeff would have better advice to give you than I do." The buzz rings, but after a while, Paula clicks it off with a sigh. "I guess he's offline. I'll hit him up later, and we'll see what he says tomorrow." Looking up, Paula gives me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I got to go. Packing awaits."

"Sure thing. I hope things work out with your parents."

"Ugh, don't I wish," she groans comically, and we share a good laugh at her expense. The Skype video gives a small  _blip_ , then the window disappears in a pop.

Stretching my arms, I slowly rise out of my seat. Skyping Paula was a well-needed pick-me-up, but when my stomach growls, I realize that something else requires my immediate attention.

"Hey, stop you," I say, lightly poking my stomach.

It growls again. Traitorous git.

That reminds me, I'm out of food.

Deciding to scrounge around my pantry for crumbs because I'm too lazy to haul my ass over to the cafeteria, I jog over to the kitchen only to stop in place, wide-eyed at the couch.

It's Lucas.

Sleeping.

With my blanket in his hands.

Carefully, I step over, but Lucas doesn't stir an inch. Huh. I could've sworn that he  _wasn't_  home. He's as quiet as a mouse. Either way, he's clocked out already. I watch him breathe out peaceful puffs of air. Shit, just watching Lucas nap makes  _me_  want to nap.

Propping his head up against the armrest into a more comfortable position, I lightly ruffle his hair. "What are you doing here? I thought you were at the library," I say softly.

Of course, Lucas doesn't respond.

My eyes trail over to the grocery bag on the ground. It crinkles when I quietly pick it up, and when a receipt flutters out of the bag, I can't help but notice that there's only one item on the list.

"Coco puffs?" I repeat, confused. I could've sworn that Lucas didn't eat cereal. At the very least, he avoids eating it often, because cereal goes hand-in-hand with milk, and well, Lucas is mildly lactose intolerant. He can still eat dairy products like ice cream, yogurt, and cheese (god, Lucas fucking LOVES cheese), just not a fuck ton, and he avoids directly drinking more than a full glass of milk a day: Courtesy of his half-Japanese genes.

Curiosity drives me to open up the pantry.

Lo and behold, there's a cereal box standing on my once-empty shelf.

Seeing that I'm a proud all-out 100% American white boi whose middle name is cheeseburger, I can't resist a crow of delight and begin my breakfast feast with a generous serving of cereal and milk. When I make my way around the kitchen counter, Lucas groggily sits up, and oops, I've accidentally woken him up with my obnoxious loud mouth.

"Fank oo'! I lub dis shtuff," I manage around a full mouth, and offer him my spoon with a silly grin. "Dew wan sum?"

For a second, Lucas stares at me like he's seen a ghost.

Then slowly, he breaks out into a quiet laugh.

* * *

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~ ** _Chapter Twenty-One_** ~

**_TFW I Eat Too Much Cheese Popcorn_ **

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Jokingly, there are three simple rules I follow to satisfy Lucas's friendship.

**1\. Don't get in the way of his sleep.**

**2\. Don't get in the way of his food.**

**3\. Don't get in the way of his (lack of) social life.**

Still his response, while expected, crushes my hopes and dreams.

"No."

"I'll buy you lunch!"

"I thought you wanted private time with Paula today."

I internally cringe, shrinking under the vast ceiling of the library. The worst part? I can't argue against that, not when he's using my own words against me. "Well, that was  _before_  she decided to spill the beans to Jeff, and before Jeff spilled the beans to his boyfriend! Besides, if Paula really wants to talk to me, we could always do it on the side. Please, Lucas, you gotta save me, I'm begging you!"

"Asking me again won't change my answer."

"...Please?"

"You know I dun socialize, Imma hermit," Lucas mumbles, pulling his arms over his head. "Now cuddit ow, I'm tryin to concentrate."

"But Tony's going to bombard me with relationship advice! And we're not even _in_ a relationship," I wail, aghast. "Lucas, you gotta tag along-"

"Your friends, your problem."

I throw my hands up into the air in a fit of frustration. "No, _wrong._ We're in this together. If I have to listen to Tony give me advice on how to charm dicks, then you're going to suffer through it with me-" I stop at the unimpressed look on Lucas's face. Shit, he's really not in the mood. I resort back to whining like a kid. "Please...?"

"I'm not going to gate-crash your party by being grumpy and sleep-deprived. Seriously, go have fun." Lucas finally spares me a side-glance, only to raise a brow. "And what are you doing up so early, it's six in the morning."

"I should be asking you that," I retort, comfortably leaning against the back of his chair. I peer over his shoulder and catch a glimpse of Obscure Video Games of the Past Decade before Lucas's arm involuntarily slides over it. "This is the second night you've slept over in the library. What are you doing, taking notes?" I comment, curiously looking at the haphazard pile of papers strewn over the desk.

"I'm trying to figure something out," Lucas mutters, clumsily covering a yawn and pushing my head away. "Shoo, I'm busy. Go socialize with your girlfriend-"

"Paula's NOT my girlfriend," I protest. "She's a girl, she's a friend, but she's not my girlfriend."

"Don't you have to be somewhere," he says, exasperated.

"Maybeee," I say, drawing out the "ee." Lucas still looks less than convinced. Oh well, I tried. "We should try to hang out more. Or at the very least, deter people from wondering if our honey-moon phase is over before Chrom stops acting up- Hey, I know! Let's watch a movie tonight. Except-" I jab a finger into his arm. "I'm choosing the movie. We all know what happened last time you did-"

"Don't remind me," Lucas suddenly says, the back of his neck boiling a lobster red, and this makes me smirk. Got him again. "Didn't you say that your reunion was going to last long?"

I proudly puff up my chest. "Well, I need to make sure you don't break curfew, because someone hasn't come home for the past two days. I swear to god, if you start breaking the rules too, Master Hand's going to call me out for being a shitty influence."

"I'll come home tonight, you don't have to cut your socializing short," he says quickly. "And I... I think I'll be busy-"

"On a Saturday? We don't have anything to do until Christmas." I peer at him with a lazy halfassed grin. "My reunion's not going to last all day. Come home tonight. I heard the new Thor movie's out. Even better, Moulin Rouge is back on Netflix."

Lucas swallows. "I thought you were looking forward to seeing your friends."

"I am. But I can do two things in one go, can't I?"

Slumping over, Lucas stuffs his hands into his pockets. "What are we watching," he mumbles. Heh, look at this dork, acting all shy as hell. My grin widens. I knew it, no one can resist my charm!

"I knew you liked me," I say happily.

"You're going to be late," is all he says, though it's fucking 6 in the morning and everyone is either sleeping or off to watch the games in the lobby.

"We'll figure out what to watch later." I watch him hopefully. "So... is Operation Movie Night a go? How does ten sound?"

"I'd like that," Lucas says softly.

You know what, this is okay. This is totally more than okay.

I bite down on my lip, because god, Lucas needs to stop being so adorable. Seriously, if he keeps telling me what the fuck he's actually feeling about something more often, like right now, then hell, I'd do anything to make him happy.

I carefully study his face from the side. "You sure you'll show up tonight? No more sleeping in the library?"

"I'll try."

"I'll kiss you if you show up on time," I suggest in the manner of a tempting bribe, and cackle madly when Lucas accidentally shoves a textbook too hard with his elbow, knocking it away and sending it flying off the table.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," he groans, his cheeks tinted pink, and closes the book shut when I pick it up and place it back into his hands.

While not a solid guarantee, I know that Lucas is more likely to open up if I can make him more at ease... which means making him comfortable around me again. Lucas opens up at his own pace. He doesn't share what's on his mind until he's ready.

But somehow, if I can encourage him to make that leap of courage, if I can figure out how to best help him...

At the very least, I don't expect anything. Honestly? I'm just hoping for a good time. Quality time dorking around. Which Lucas has agreed to. Tonight. YES. I resist the urge to pump my fist into the air in triumph.

Keep it casual.

DAMN IT NESS just keep it casual.

But I'm so giddy over my little victory that I leap over and give Lucas a quick hug on my way out. Lucas stiffens up in my hold, but I dash out before he can voice his displeasure. I'm surprised that Lucas is even up at this hour. He's been sleeping in less and less lately. I remember his open-mouthed fast-asleep face in the library and snrrk with laughter. The more dorky faces I can snapchat to him, the better.

It's a win-win situation for me either way.

So I skip out of the library in high spirits and jump down to the first floor.

This is also where I get a convenient reminder about Master Hand's house arrest.

"Oh, no! Not you!" Tingle squeaks, struggling to peer over the tall receptionist desk to waggle his tiny finger at me. "You, Sir Ness, are listed in the top of the Most Wanted Amiibo list. I'm afraid we can't let you wander outside! And - oh, what is this? Oh my my!" Tingle vigorously shakes out a scroll of paper, which quickly rolls down to the floor. "Sir, you are most grievously stuck in the top three current shipping trends! No absolutely not-"

"I'm only going to be out for a few hours!" I whine.

"Kooloo-limpah, enough whining! Master Hand's words are the fairy-est, fairest of laws, and alas, you are on his shitlist!" Tingle furiously shoos me away with a frown on his elfish face. "Begone, troublesome child!"

Of course, this leads me to Plan B.

"Wha- aUGH, NESS!" Screeching to a halt at my doubled over form in his now-destroyed bathroom, Jeff wrings his hands into his hair in despair. "I just got the toilet repaired last night!"

"My bad," I cough, waving off the remnants of ash from my teleportation.

"This is what, the  _third_  time you've teleported into my bathroom?"

"It's an emergency, take mercy on me," I plead, trailing behind Jeff as he stomps away to fetch his tool box.

"Well, I'm here," Jeff says grumpily, sitting back onto the bathroom tiles to cut off the godawful caterwauling of the smoke detector. "And I'm not going anywhere. Do tell me why you've suddenly re-discovered the urge to break and enter at seven in the morning."

"Master Hand won't let me out of the Mansion-"

"For good reason."

"I'm serious, Jeff!" I start pacing around. "That means today... Paula and Tony... we-"

"-can still meet them today. We'll just have to let them inside the Mansion."

"Tingle won't let them in-"

"I signed up for two VIP Smash Mansion Passes in advance."

"And here I was, looking forward to a nice, lovely day  _outside_  of the Mansion," I say gloomily.

Jeff points his screwdriver in my direction. "Bad idea. You'd best follow directions until Master Hand gives the word."

I slump over in a sulk. The VIP Smash Mansion Pass isn't the end of the world: it's literally a golden ticket to a front seat of any match. A limited supply is sold off each month at a ridiculously high price, while the others are given away in lotteries. The VIP pass grants the buyer full access to the back elevators of Smash Mansion, which lead directly to the award-winning shopping district on the 3rd floor and a nice view of the underground arena. Basically, it's a chance for the lucky people to see Smashers in person.

Good news: Smashers can invite whomever they want for free.

Bad news: I REALLY don't want to stay inside.

"Jeff, you know that more passes are sold during the Championships," I plead desperately. "The 3rd floor's going to be so crowded. Plus we've  _been_  to the 3rd floor before. You're in Master Hand's good graces, aren't you? Can't you ask him to lift the curfew for me? Please? You defeated Giygas-"

"Ah... I wouldn't say I defeated Giygas. It was your quest, and we helped each other," Jeff says, suddenly looking embarrassed. "Look, Ness, I'm an assist trophy. I lack any authoritative power. Even if I didn't, I have to agree with Master Hand this time. You started a shipping scandal last week. All the fans are going to be on your heels... which is  _another_  reason to stay here. No paparazzi."

"I guess you're right," I mutter.

"Glad that you see reason. The media is painting you as quite the teenage heart-throb."

Thinking back to unpleasant memories of watching the paparazzi digging through my trash outside Tracy's bedroom, I grimace. "I never asked for all the fame."

"I'd bet all the girls would love to hear that."

"Seriously, why do people keep saying that?" Suddenly finding the room hot, I tug on my shirt collar. "I'm not good with girls-"

"You've gotten love letters from fans since you first started Melee-"

"You're talking about love letters? Then go see Samus-"

"-and they're calling you the Child Idol of the century."

"I could care less about what the press calls me," I say exasperated. In Smash City, my name  _might_  be the most well-used of my ragtag Earthbound gang, but Poo's royalty, Paula's a fashion model, and Jeff's the son of a well-off inventor.

For heaven's sake, Jeff's got the money AND the brains. His dad sold some fancy Doofenshmirtzian "Time Machine-inator" shortly after our quest. It played a huge part in the development of Smash City's SkyTrain, and ended up bringing Jeff BIG BUCKS, topping his status from "Glasses" to "Richer glasses."

As true as it is, I don't bring up Jeff's newfound "rich kid" status, because last I heard, Dr. Andonuts has been stuck in an asylum for the past several years, mumbling away about chimaeras and (oddly enough) pigs. He's completely lost in his own universe. This also makes me feel pretty crummy for Jeff, considering that we live in the SAME building, and when you count in the fact that I haven't even dropped by to check on him since last year... Yeah. Let's just say that I'm stuck on Santa's naughty list this Christmas.

Jeff sets down his tools. "I was actually wondering when you were going to see me," he says casually, but I know him too well to be fooled. "How are things with Lucas?"

"How did you-"

"Paula told me."

I give a nervous laugh. "Uh, I... It's complicated. We haven't been... talking. Kinda. I don't know?" Embarrassed, I bury my face into my hands. "Ugh, I like him, and I think he likes me, but I'm not sure-"

Suddenly looking just as equally flustered, Jeff sets down his tools. "T-Tony!" he stammers. "Tony's better at figuring out mushy stuff than I am. I've already let Tony know, so you can consult him on your relationship problems-"

"Noooo," I say quickly, pushing Jeff out of the bathroom and sorely regretting that I spilled out all my life's woes to Paula for the thousandth time in a row. Oh, curse me and my big mouth! "Jeff, it's okay. EVERYTHING'S OKEY. I got this. Romance? Relationships? Ha, yeah, this is right up my alley." Under Jeff's dubious expression, I awkwardly swing my arms. "Yes. It is. Because. People skills! Icantotallyrelationships. FALCON YES."

"Paula told me that you've barely talked to Lucas since your last visit to Onett."

I wince. "You're right. I have no idea what I'm doing."

By this point, Jeff's building another bottle rocket again. I don't know why, but as long as he doesn't go all  _Clemont_  on me and make it explode, I'll take it.

...it also doesn't help that Jeff resembles a stereotypical blonde genius with glasses.

Lucas, Paula, and now Jeff. Seriously, I need to stop surrounding myself with blondes who are smarter than me.

"I promise no interventions, but worst case scenario, Tony's advice might give you something rational to think over," Jeff says with a firm finality, and I feel the weight of the World crash upon my mortal shoulders.

Oh dear god.

What have I done.

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~oO0Oo~

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And that, my friends, is how I met my untimely demise: Death by Third-wheeling.

Nevermind, we actually DO have a bigger problem. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about:  _How to avoid gay friends who want to bring up my gay crush._  It's bad enough that my sister and mom are already on the "Let's tease Ness for having a crush because aww isn't that so cute?" bandwagon, and now that I've blabbed my mouth off to everyone else in the vicinity, I don't need to add any more friends - gay, straight, or otherwise - into the embarrassing mix.

Thus begins the biggest goose chase of the year.

The reunion doesn't start off that badly. Or at least, not in the beginning. When we find Paula and Tony chilling outside  _The Sashimi Gem_  at noon-thirty, dolled up in thick mittens and woolen coats to protect themselves from the chill, Jeff ambles over to greet them, his eyes bright and cheeks red with cold. Upon seeing him, Tony literally jumps up, squeaking with delight, and the two enjoy a very enthusiastic hug. I admit, it's kind of cute, but all the same, I do feel a bit intrusive for standing awkwardly in the middle of their heartfelt reunion. Next to me, Paula glances at me with the same sheepish expression. This makes me feel slightly better.

Nice to know that I'm not the only one being third-wheeled.

Everything is so ridiculously high end at the Grande Central Park of the shopping district that the Costco on the outskirts sticks out like a sore thumb. Three-star Michelin restaurants are the norm in this area. Some of the classiest restaurants have gathered round to eagerly cater for their customers - VIP guests dressed in suits and professional wear. I even spot Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom at a large RESERVED table by Osteria Francescana, toasting over a meal of spaghetti, and Ashley is admiring a ring over at the Piaget jewelry store.

For those who can afford it, this place is a rich kid's playground.

For those who can't, it's a wannabe daydream.

As a middle class fuckboy where taxes wring your neck and squeeze the ever-living shit out of your income, guess which category I fall under.

Of course, with all the fanciest of restaurants and places at our disposal, we end up eating outside of Grande Central Park at an  _In-N-Out._  For a fast food place, it sells affordable burgers that actually taste so good that the cheese melts in my mouth and the steak patty does a happy tap-dance on my tongue. Overall, you could say that I was a very happy teen.

As horrible as it sounds, yes, I also did anything I could to avoid a possible one-on-one with Tony. I made sure not to provide outlets for scenes where we could end up alone. I made sure to sit next to Paula on the booth. I made sure to walk at the side, sandwiching Paula and Jeff in the middle. To my relief, my efforts were for naught. Tony seemed perfectly happy with being all lovey-dovey with Jeff, who, now coaxed out of his awkward nerdy self, was giving an explanation about black holes for god knows why.

Paula, as always, looks as stunning as ever. She won the title of Miss Eagleland last year, and top brand stores desperately throw clothes at her in the hopes that she will wear them. She has an endless string of  admirers.

Naturally, as it is usually around any attractive girl out of my league, I feel a little awkward and out-of-place standing next to her, but the awkwardness quickly subsides because hey, we're friends. And being total bffs with the hot model chick who helped you save the world is pretty damn awesome.

"It's nice to be back," Paula suddenly says, breaking into a smile, and without asking, I know what she means.

Four people. Hanging out. It's just like old times.

Well, except for all the death-defying stunts, evil aliens, and stupid level grinding quests, but shh, let's keep it light today. Happy memories. Magic butterflies. Rainbows. A warm fuzzy feeling comfortably settles in the pit of my stomach. There's really nothing quite like bonding in the face of trauma.

"Yeah," I say. "If Poo stopped by, then we would've completed the original quartet."

"I heard that he's busy with his princely duties."

"No surprise there. Dude's running a whole friggin country by himself. He's like, the great Dragon Warrior-"

Paula stifles a grin. "The great Dragon Warrior?"

"Yeah, like  _King Poo Panda_ -"

At my horrible pun (in my defense, Poo, I swear to Dalaam that there are worse things in life than being compared to a Dreamworks movie that was actually fucking good), Paula cackles into her mittens. She almost topples over from laughing so hard that I have to sling my arm over her shoulder to keep her balance up, and when she holds onto my hand with another burst of giggles, I smile and glance at the row of shops around the shopping district, trying not to think about the sudden lurch in my stomach. I've held Paula's hand so many times before: after we were trapped together under Threed during a zombie attack, after she was kidnapped in the Fourside department store, after we were out exploring Winters in Dr. Andonuts' lab.

We've held hands so many times before. This shouldn't be any different.

But then I think of Lucas, and how long it took him to let me hold his hand. A year? Two? And how many times has he ducked away from me every time I tried to hug him? Many times. So many times that I've lost count.

I drop my eyes. In retrospect, my first love confession didn't the turn out the way I'd expected. I guess I'd been a tad too optimistic. I'd expected rainbows. I'd expected bishie sparkles. Hell, call me cliche, call me stupid, but I'd envisioned the scene many times, over how I would casually confess to Lucas, over how his face would light up, over how we'd kiss and make out and play Mario Kart until three in the morning like the plot of some stupidly generic Nesscas fanfic.

Of course, none of that happened. One careless choice had turned me into a drunken mess, and ended up with Lucas having to drag my sorry ass up to the hospital ward. Shit I don't even want to talk about that night. Just  _thinking_  about it, or whatever little of it I do remember, makes me cringe so badly that I feel a small part of me shrivel up and die every time Lucas glances my way.

But he does like me.

I think.

Jesus fucking christ, I can't tell. I can only hope that he doesn't hate me at this point.

Suddenly for some stupid reason, a lump swells up in my throat. I wish that he loved me. I wish that he at least  _told_  me that he loved me, just once.

Beside me, Paula's eyes faintly shimmer with magic. I can feel the warmth of her empathy link wash over me, and through our linked fingers, I know that she can feel mine. She's so happy and so open about her own feelings.

I'm grateful for our friendship. I'm so grateful for her comfort, for her being there for me when no one else was.

I grip her hand tighter.

Paula falters, catching my expression. I'm not exactly sure what she saw - I swear that I'm not THAT bad looking, I even combed my hair today - but she quickly lets go of my hand before I can read her feelings. "I'll be right back. Gotta go to the bathroom," she suddenly announces, and whirling around, dashes away in the opposite direction.

"Paula, where are you going? There's a bathroom over there-" I call out, confused, but as I reach out to her, the edge of her pink dress has already fluttered out of sight around the corner of a  _Gucci_  store.

Bewildered, I touch my face with my other hand. Am I really that bad looking? Shit, maybe my eyes went all glowy and freaked her out again I don't know. When I try to follow, Jeff holds me back with a hand on my shoulder.

"I told her not to come visit you today," Jeff says in a calculated tone.

"Why?"

"That's for her to say."

Even Tony looks troubled at Jeff's side. "Should we go fetch her?"

Jeff shakes his head. "Leave her be. She can take care of herself."

I dumbly stare at the place Paula vanished. A crowd of people murmur excitedly around us - Paula's a decently known celebrity herself. If they figure out who she is, then no doubt they'll piece two and two together.

From somewhere in my chest, I feel her empathy link throb.

The look on her face.

I've only seen her wear that look once before.

"She's upset," I mumble.

"-and you might make it worse," Jeff warns. "Don't try anything. Paula can take care of herself, she'll come back." Jeff shrugs on his coat. "I'll follow her. You keep Tony company."

As I feared, Tony takes advantage of this time to drag me away, squeezing into a secluded alley by the food court. I hear the voices and footsteps of curious fans murmur past, and am sorely glad when they walk away, oblivious to our presence.

Breathing in, I pinch my nose and try to think of a way to dig myself out of my own mess. Except that up close, Tony's hair looks as chestnut brown as ever except for the newly-added strawberry blonde highlights, and I notice that his hair also  _(unfortunately)_  has the same wavy curls as Paula's does.

This does not help me concentrate.

His ensemble as flamboyant as a gay flower (he's wearing fluorescent orange and purple  _mismatched socks_ , for crying out loud), Tony steers me through the cobbled alley towards a glowing display at  _Hermes_.

"You're looking as green as ever," I comment dryly.

Tony glances down at his entire attire swathed in emerald. "Oh this? It's my favorite color. But you know that's not why we're here." He clacks his tongue impatiently, and from here, I can spot a silver piercing on the tip of his tongue.

The cards are up. I give in with a sigh. "Great, does  _everyone_  know about my hopeless lovelife?"

"You spilled the beans, not me," Tony answers with a shrug. "But hey, since we're both into hot blondes-" When my face boils up in mortification, Tony smiles sincerely. "It's okay, I see Jeff the same way. Stereotypical gay theatre kid here."

"I'm surprised it took you so long to get hitched with Jeff," I mutter.

"We broke up early on because we wanted different things in life," Tony confesses. "Jeff wanted to pursue his studies, and I, well, I literally dicked around. I tried sleeping around with other guys on Grindr, but the relationships never lasted long. Don't get me wrong, dicks are nice-"

Great, now I know more about Tony's sex life than I ever need to.

"-but there really was no one like Jeff. We ended up missing each other, so after he graduated early from college, we touched base and got back together again."

While I'm no prude, and am honestly glad to see Jeff and Tony back together, I really do think that this is too much information. Considering that I fall into the same pitfall while talking, I silently resolve to pick up a few hints from Lucas. Maybe become a hermit. Give up my social life. Permanently.

I stare at Tony blankly. "You lost me at dicks."

Tony laughs, and his ridiculously flamboyant bowler hat bobs on his head. "My point is, is Lucas out of the closet?"

The unexpected question catches me off-guard. "No...? At least, I don't think so."

"That's your first problem."

"What's wrong with being closeted?" I say indignantly.

"The relationship usually won't work out. Hold on, hear me out for a sec," Tony says quickly when I try to interrupt him. "See Ness, you get this power imbalance, because the closeted person gets all the say-so in the relationship. Like, when it's okay to touch, when it's okay to do A, when it's okay to do B," Tony explains, tilting his head into a wise nod. "Don't get me wrong. It can still work out- just hasn't for me. In my opinion, dating a closeted person is too much trouble than it's worth."

"Maybe if you can help them out of the closet-"

"Coming out isn't just a one-time thing. It's something you'll have to do forever. It's personal. And at the risk of alienating your family? For some people, it's not worth the risk. At least, not right now. Especially when it concerns their safety." When Tony turns his head, and I can see the faint scar on his forehead before his bangs hide it. "I took the risk. So did you. But not all people have understanding parents."

"I'm gonna give Lucas some time first. It's only been the second day," I say desperately, and okay, maybe I  _am_  a tad bit biased because so far, Tony's advice has basically been  _it won't work out, ever, ZIP ZILCH NADA_.

"Mm. I haven't heard of a case where someone falling in love with their straight best friend ever worked out, but, well... if you know that Lucas likes you back, then he's not exactly straight, is he?"

As little of a saving grace it is, Tony's question lifts up my hopes. Slightly. "I guess not."

"Then be ready when Lucas decides to come out of the closet, because if he does, he'll need you," Tony says, clapping me on the shoulder. "But just so you know-"

"Expect nothing."

"That too, but be careful that he doesn't drag you back in."

"I won't," I promise.

"Atta boy," Tony says cheerfully, bobbing his head like a bobblehead yet a second time. "I knew I had the easier end of the deal. I think Jeff's going to take a while with Paula, so let's explore 'round."

I agree, and catching the aroma of confectioneries, turn towards the nearest bakery. While choux cream puffs are honestly to die for, I'm really more of a "main course meal" fan than a "sugary desserts" fan. But this suddenly reminds me of how much Lucas likes sweets, of how he bought me cereal, and of how rarely he treats himself out.

So I end up at  _Bottega_ _Louis's Restaurant, Gourmet, and Patisserie_ , plastering my face against the glass display of mouthwatering cakes and macaroons, because heck, why not? It makes me a little more than sad that the third floor shopping district doesn't sell a single choux cream puff, but it's a small grievance when I picture Lucas's eyes brightening up at the sight of baked goods.

True to Tony's word, as soon as we step outside with our goodies, Jeff returns with a puffy-eyed Paula in tow.

"Sorry about that, it's been a rough week," Paula says with a weak laugh.

I eye her in concern. "You sure it's cool? We could've met up another time-"

"No, this is good! I wanted to see you. I was still going to be in the area for my college tour." Paula rubs her sleeves against her face, then breaks into genuine smile. "Phew, forget that happened, and I'll call it even for the time that Starman Super KO'ed you."

Instantly, this triggers my indignant outrage. "But that dungeon was crazy! There were so many Starmen Supers-"

"Everyone else had to carry the team because you went down," Paula smirks.

"Don't give me that, you kept running out of health when I first met you," I counter.

You can imagine the snarky come-backs that resulted.

This back-and-forth exchange goes on for quite a time before Jeff intervenes. Time flies, and before I know it, I'm waving everyone off at the front lobby, with Jeff clutching onto a enthusiastically beaming Tony's hand and Paula giggling at the exchange, her own hands full of shopping bags of the latest clothes. I offer to teleport them back to Paula's apartment, but bogged down by everyone tossing Master Hand's words at me, find myself forced to stay indoors.

It was probably for the best though, because when I glance at my phone, HOLY SHIT it's nine-fifty PM. I cut it close, barely managing to make it back to the suite right before ten, card-keying my way into the apartment and slamming the door shut. I blink a few times into the darkness before flicking the lights on.

No one's here.

My heart sinks. Of course the dolt isn't here. Probably lost track of time in the library.

But as I set up my Netflix and popcorn on the couch, the door beeps, and Lucas dashes in, breathless and panting over his legs. He seems oddly more bothered than usual, and I can tell because of the telltale flush rising from the back of his neck.

Watching his sorry state, I crack a grin and stuff more popcorn into my mouth. "Hey, you didn't have to rush. I'm still setting up."

Something flickers in his eyes, and Lucas ducks his head in embarrassment. "I can help," he mumbles, hurrying over to sit next to me and untangle my laptop charger from the other Playstation cords.

"How was the library?"

"Might have found a lead, so I'm heading back there tomorrow morning."

I pull up Moulin Rouge and maximize the screen. "Again? What are you even reading about, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?"

"No, I- what does that mean."

"No idea, but it's the longest word in the English language," I say proudly.

Lucas groans. "Figures. Only you would memorize a nonsense word."

"You mean  _nonsensical_. Admit it, you're just jealous that I have a better vocabulary than you do," I sniff, and Lucas shakes his head, successfully freeing my laptop cord from the wild tangle. "No seriously, you didn't answer my question. Why exactly are you studying your life and soul out?"

Lucas rubs the back of his neck. "I'm not studying," he admits. "I'm searching for the Mother 3 cartridge. Someone stole it from Master Hand in Onett-"

I suddenly sit up in realization. "Is this why he spared my ass? Because he thought that whoever was behind the Shark raids was responsible for orchestrating the theft?"

"Pretty much. I haven't gotten any news online, but I think that I have a new lead on a book that has some ties to the plot of my game."

"I hope you find it. I'll let you know if I hear anything about your cartridge," I offer.

Lucas breaks into a tired smile. "Thanks. How was your day."

"It was fun! Well..." My expression falters. "Except for the part when Paula cried-"

Lucas cautiously looks up. "Paula cried?"

"She's under a lot of stress. Her parents have been giving her some beef over wanting to attend college out-of-dimension, but she'll text me more stuff about that later." When Lucas falls silent, I lightly elbow him in the side. "Don't you worry your head, she'll be fine. I'll see her again after she finishes her tour at Smash Uni tomorrow."

At this, both of us very hesitantly exchange a knowing glance. For a good reason. It's almost that time of year again.

"Are you-" I start.

"I would if I could, but the tuition's too expensive."

"That tuition's no joke," I agree. "50k plus a year? And just to study? No thanks. Honestly, you're the lucky one."

"How am I the lucky one."

"I'm turning eighteen soon," I groan. "I bet Marth's going to bust his ass recruiting me this year. Remember when he went all helicopter mom on Popo? And Popo was all like-" I give my best impression of a pompous frat boy. "Smoke weed everyday."

"To be fair, he does smoke weed everyday."

"Trust me, I know," I say fervently. "I'm so fucking glad that you don't. I swear to god, when I roomed with Popo, there was always this gross cloud of weed inside the apartment. I think  _I_  got high every time I stepped foot into the bathroom." I sneak Lucas a look. "You know, even if we ditch the nerd life, Master Hand  _did_  say that we could fill up our community service requirement in other ways."

"But you're still sticking to patrol duty."

"Right. Fighting crime and all." An ad plays on my screen, and I pause, watching another Geico commercial flash its  _15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance,_  because I've forgotten to pay my Netflix dues and am too lazy to pay tonight for membership. Oh well. Free online pirating it is. "Lucas... I've been thinking. With Porky out there, maybe we should lay low for a bit. I heard that the new Starbucks across the street is hiring baristas, and... and Captain Falcon's out playing  _All Might_  from Boku no Hero Academia! I think he's looking for extras to air at the live-action anime firm-"

"While you're still set on patrol duty."

Frustrated, I run my fingers through my hair. "It's... I don't know, you know I spared his life in the end. And I fell for it. Like a dumbass. Porky's my responsibility, okay."

"We're from the same world," Lucas deadpans.

"Well, considering that Porky tried to play bomberman on the SkyTrain, I don't feel too safe with you running around too!"

"I'm just as in much danger if I work as a barista or as an extra on set. I'm not quitting patrol duty unless you do."

"Lucas," I groan. "Why do you always choose the worst times to be a stubborn ass?"

"I'd rather be a stubborn ass than return home one night to find you dead," Lucas says flatly.

"What? You know that we can't die here, I'd only get petrified-" I start, but Lucas lowers his head, refusing to meet my eyes. Defeated, I glance back at my laptop, where a now ad-free Moulin Rouge is ready on stand-by.

Well, so much for a chill movie night.

"We should watch the Championships live tomorrow," I say instead. "Samus and Bayonetta are in the lead. They pulled off some pretty sweet stunts. I think I might even try out some moves."

"Mmh."

Monosyllables? Oh boy, I've definitely made him upset.

"Oh, right!" In a last-ditch attempt to lighten up the mood, I grab the  _Bottega Louie_  box and push it into his face. "Happy three-day anniversary! I thought we should celebrate the best of our crackship."

"How romantic. Should I go grab the rose petals."

"Stop making fun of me, you dolt, how the hell am I supposed to know what couples do for an anniversary," I whine, stabbing the candles into the Chocolate Hazelnut Flocage, but am so relieved that the tension is broken.

Lucas shuffles over. "You should've told me so I would've prepared something too."

"You bought me cereal," I say matter-of-factly, and snap my fingers. "PK Fire." A small flame erupts from the tip of my thumb. Lighting the two colorful candles, I step back to admire my work. The more I look at it, the more this scene resembles a ratchet recreation of a romantic Disney movie, but as embarrassed I am, Lucas thankfully doesn't seem to mind. I don't think either of us are really into sappy shit anyway.

Reading the logo on the cake box, Lucas just looks a little overwhelmed. "You didn't have to go all out," Lucas says, realizing where I've bought the cake and now looking mortified. "We can split the cost-"

"Geez, Lucas, calm down. It's not like I bought you a friggin Lamborghini. I didn't go all out, I swear. Like  _look at this;_  the cake is barely bigger than your hand," I say, pointing at the sad, but delicious lump of chocolate. "Also I cashed in all my checks today, so I felt like treating everyone out. I bought everyone something while we hung out, so I might as well do the same for you."

My explanation eases his troubled expression somewhat. "I'll treat you out next time," he promises.

"Yeah, whatever. Stop stalling, I'm starving." I scoot over, eagerly sliding the cake over. "Now make a wish and blow out the candles."

"And then you get a turn."

"Yep."

Lucas takes a minute to muse over it. Then he blows out the candles, leaving us in sudden darkness. The only source of light is the speck of stars outside the open balcony.

Curious, I peer into his face. "What was your wish?"

The corner of his lips uplift slightly in a hint of a smile. "Not telling."

"What? Oh, come on," I whine and gripe, but sadly, today doesn't seem like one of those days Lucas is willing to spill. Instead, he relights the cake with an incantation of his own. The candles spark bright blue.

"Your turn," he says, and I shift my eyes over from the flickering candles to his face. The magical fire reflects soft dots of light off his eyes.

I swallow hard. Shit, the nerves are back. Again. To no one's surprise. "That reminds me," I say in a upbeat tone, hoping that my voice isn't as nervous as it sounds. "You arrived on time today."

"I did," Lucas says quietly. His eyes look brighter blue than usual in the dark.

It's my turn to fluster. I feel my own face turn hot and gulp, but the sound's too audible in the silence. "Let's eat," I say hastily, blowing out the candles and plucking them out of the cake. Except we end up reaching for the cake knife at the same time, our hands awkwardly bumping into each other and our faces much too close-

So I do something incredibly stupid. Pinning his hand onto the ground, I angle my face over.

And kiss him.

Kinda. The timing's off, so I miss, clumsily bumping into his jaw and brushing my lips against the shell of his left ear.

Either way, it barely lasts a second. We jump apart, faces flushed, cheeks red.

I want to slap myself for pulling such a bold stunt, but the devilish half of me is too pleased to see how flustered I've made him. "U-um, sorry, I'm still into... tilted into you," I stammer, scooting away, but Lucas grips my arm.

"It's okay, this... this is okay," Lucas says firmly, though he sounds more like he's reassuring himself than reassuring me. The back of his ears are still flushed pink. "Let's watch the movie."

I stare at him in surprise. Lucas didn't push me away this time. Shit, now I want to grab his face and kiss him stupid, but I know that I've already slipped up here. I need to take things easy. Go steady. Go slow. One step at a time. One base at a time.

I'm not exactly sure what we are. Or what exactly  _this_  is.

But it's okay.

Lucas said it was okay.

Washing the cream off the candles, we split the cake, and I scarf down barely a third of my slice before I end up giving the rest of my half to Lucas. Though he furrows his brows in an unspoken question, I can't miss the longing look in his eyes, and when I slug him in the shoulder to take it, he seems all too pleased to do so, taking his time to chew through my discarded cake. Granted, it's a pretty good cake, and the chocolate tastes richer than liquid gold, but after eating sweets all day, I don't think my poor stomach can handle any more sugar.

Though it does have room for popcorn. My stomach always has room for cheddar popcorn. And grilled medium-rare steak. And potatoes. Warm, glorious oven-baked potatoes drizzled in golden butter that melts in your mouth-

Okay, I like food. Don't judge me.

I don't who started it, but somewhere during Satine's seductive twist on  _Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend_ , the blanket fortress rolls out, and we camp out on the couch together, huddled in a mess of my bed sheets in an attempt to avoid the chill of the apartment.

And let me tell you, the food coma is definitely real. While I made myself busy fantasizing about food porn, drunk on the thought of eating all the rich meals I missed out on during training season, I think I ate too much cheddar popcorn, but I can't bring myself to care because there's this happy buzz in my mind. Unbelievably comfortable and full, involuntarily, without thinking, I slowly sink my head into Lucas's shoulder.

And in response, Lucas gently rests his head on top of mine with a sleepy hum, his throat reverberating in a low vibrato.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're about to enter a major feels zone yesss


	22. Nothing Else to Lose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas meets the parents̶  
> 

_**~Prologue~** _

"Why are you limping?"

"I tripped over the stairs."

"Did the eighth graders pick on you again?"

"It wasn't them this time. I told you, I'm fine."

"But your leg... looks like it hurts... a lot."

"Ness, don't cry."

"I'm... I'm gonna beat them up!"

"Are you nuts. There were ten of them, and they almost broke your arm last week."

"I still would've won," Ness says stubbornly, wobbling under my weight. But from the way he's sulking, I'm sure that his mother's scolding is fresh on his mind. Ness has a particularly bad habit of sticking his nose where it didn't belong. Even now, his knuckles are red and inflamed, and the bruises around his neck look molten purple.

So I carry his school bag for him.

We reach a fork in the sidewalk. When I return his bag, Ness stretches his arms in complaint. "Man, we have so much math homework due tomorrow. It's so many problems. Like, a mountain full of problems."

"I probably won't finish them."

"Why not?"

"I lost my math textbook," I mumble.

"That's okay, you can take mine," Ness says, opening his bag and pulling his own textbook out.

"What if I lose it too-"

Ness pushes the book into my reluctant hands. "I know you. You won't lose it."

.

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.

.

The posters of his smiling face were everywhere.

Savior of Onett. The Chosen One. Teenage Idol of the Century.

Within a few months of ending his quest, Ness's life changed. Joining the ranks of Master Hand's Original Twelve, he quickly became the youngest celebrity of the decade. For a while, it was impossible to pay Ness a visit because of the paparazzi and reporters camping outside his house.

It didn't stop him from sneaking out at night. Insisting me to  _HOLD IT RIGHT THERE_ , he teleported to the baseball field halfway across town, where his hug ( _more like a tackle_ ) sent me flying off my feet.

"Haha! Look at you, you've grown taller!" Ness exclaims, pressing his palm into my head. "But I'm still taller than you."

"I'm still growing," I insist, looking up into his face in dismay.

"It's okay, you'll always be younger than me." When Ness finally sees it fit to release me, he releases a pent-up groan. "You wouldn't believe how hard it was to teleport under my mom's nose. Everyone keeps bothering me."

"You saved the world," I remind him.

"Only because it had to be saved." Ness falls back into the grass. "Dang it, why did you quit school? Now class is gonna be all sad and boring without you."

"I didn't really have a choice. Oh, right, here-"

"Dude... Is that my textbook?!"

"You never showed up to school the next day, because you went on your quest, but I tried to keep it safe-"

"I totally forgot about that! Thanks. You didn't have to return it today."

"Might as well."

"That makes two of us, I guess. About school. I think I'll stay another year to make my mom happy, then quit 7th grade."

I sit down next to him. "I heard Master Hand offered you a place on the roster."

"Yeah." Ness stares into the sky. "Wow... I haven't been here in three months. How long has it been since we last talked anyway?"

"You called me last week in Saturn Valley."

"It's not the same."

"I'm glad you're home," I say quietly.

"Same. You have no idea how much I wished BuzzBuzz let me bring you along. He was all like  _two boys and one girl will help you save the world_ , but when I brought you up, he was all like  _Lucas isn't a part of your quest, dumbass._ " Ness shook his head with a laugh. "You never told me you were psychic. Maybe that would've changed BuzzBuzz's mind. When did you find out about your powers?"

"Sometime after you left," I mumble.

Ness suddenly sits up. "I want to see you do magic!"

I grimace. "It's embarrassing. I can't control my telepathy-"

"TELEPATHY?" Ness yells with glee. "What? How? No wait, eye contact, isn't it? Can you still read my mind if I look away?"

"Only if your thoughts are loud."

"How about now?"

"I don't think it makes a difference. You've always been easy to read."

Clearly put out, Ness puffs his cheeks out and says in a high funny voice, "Oh, look at me, my name is Lucas and I'm too cool for my best friend."

I lightly slug him in the shoulder. "You're the famous one."

"Hey, you have powers! That means you should apply."

"Apply to where."

"The new smash roster!"

"I'm not a hero."

"Pbbff, aren't we all."

"I'm not," I insist. "Saving people? I can barely save myself from tripping over the sidewalk."

"We can be famous together. As new smashers. Ness and Lucas, fighting crime!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself."

Ness's grin widens. "You'll never know until you try."

My broken family. My father's debt.

Society was already out to get me. I supposed that I had nothing else to lose.

How very wrong I was.

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter Twenty-Two**_ ~

**_Nothing Else to Lose_ **

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* * *

"We're dating."

One roundtable. Three people.

The silence after Ness's declaration is painful.

Ness's mom staggers to her feet.

Sensing that something has gone terribly wrong, Ness reaches for her arm. "Mom-"

"Lucas, I thought you were a good boy," she finally says. "But now, I see I was wrong."

I'm sorry.

"I told you to take care of my son, but you-" she struggles with the words. "I sent my son to deliver soup to you when you got sick. I let you two play together in the same room. I let you two sleep into the same bunk bed when you were little, but after all this time, I never suspected that you'd- you pretended to be friends with my son, and you-" A broken sob. "My son... why did it have to be  _my_  son?"

I'm so sorry.

"I never should've let you into my home!"

 

"Mom, it's not like that," Ness pleads. "Just listen for one second-"

"-...It was _you."_ Ness's mother raises her head to look straight at me. "You. You dragged my son into this. Filthy, disgusting freak. Burn in hell!"

"Lucas, you should leave. She's taking it in worse than I thought-"

Then wrenching her hand back in unbridled fury, his mother slaps me awake.

.

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**_"In light of his recent homosexual scandal, Ness's popularity has only hiked-"_ **

**_"Fans were left in shock when teenage idol Ness openly claimed to be bisexual last month-"_ **

**_"-has entered a sinful affair with his fellow roommate-"_ **

**_"-ternoon, the child idol was spotted with Paula Polestar outside Grande Central Park. What was the real reason behind her visit? Will this love affair become a love triangle? Stay tuned for more shipping conspiracies at_ _-"_ **

"Hey, turn that thing down, will you?" Ness says lightly, walking into the living room. "It's giving me a headache."

"They're talking about you."

"Let them talk. That's all they do."

I turn the TV off. Every single channel. Every single hit in the latest celebrity stream.

This is the world we live in.

"Lucas! Lucas, holy shit, it's Christmas," Ness yells, running around in excited circles like a kid hyped up on sugar. "Presents. Cake. It's Christmas woohoo!"

But this is too.

I stand corrected. I guess reality can't be too cruel.

"I'll give you your present later since we have to- woah. Someone looks dead. What happened, did you hear Santa Claus get stuck in the chimney?" Ness teases when I fumble for my tea mug.

"Guess so. What time's the reservation?"

"Eleven today. Why?" Ness looks at me incredulously. "Oh no, are you still worrying over my mom? I already told you not to worry. My mom knows about us, and she's cool with it."

"You never said that she was coming here a day early," I say, aghast.

"Yeah, but only to tour the city with my sister. But Christmas, Christmas Eve, what's the difference?"

The difference?

Sometimes the kindest of people are the scariest of all.

For some reason, my hands won't stop shaking, and I'm having difficulty pouring my coffee, splashing it over the rim of the cup. When Ness told his mother of our so-called relationship, she must have been furious. She has every right to despise me. I owe her so much, and have done so little in return.

I'm not ready to face her.

"Tracy's here too," Ness adds with a comical groan.

Great. Even better.

I lower my voice. "But your mom's Christian-"

"Correction - mildly." As if catching onto my expression, Ness gives me a sheepish shrug. "My mom grew up in a super catholic family, but she's never been too strict about making me go to church. She likes us to form our own conclusions ourselves."

His phone rings. As if shocked, he jumps to his feet. "Shit, I'm late! I should've teleported Paula to the SkyTrain station five minutes ago-"

"Don't keep her waiting."

"Too late!" Ness chirps, struggling his shoes on before waving me goodbye. "I'll be right back in half an hour, so go ahead and dress, okay?" Giving a response in kind, I watch him leave before downing the rest of my coffee.

At the very least, I should look presentable for the dreaded meeting with the in-laws, so I end up taking a quick shower before combing my hair.

Since movie night on Saturday, Ness hasn't made another move. While he's started slinging his arm over my shoulders again, he doesn't hug me. He doesn't touch me. All in all, Ness is treating me the way he normally does, except that this time, he's giving me space to sort out my thoughts.

Between my head and heart, I know which is the more reasonable.

But looking into the mirror, I can only see my twin brother's face swimming there.

I'm turning reckless.

I press the comb onto the bathroom counter so tightly that the bristles dig into my palm. It doesn't matter what I want, not when what I want is not what I need. I need to keep Ness's mom happy, I need to keep my dad happy, I need to keep Ness happy. The longer I drag my indecision along, the unhappier we'll all be.

I've already caused irreversible damage to Ness's reputation.

I have to end it before I do any more.

But when I hear the door beep open and Ness clambers into the bedroom cheerfully chattering away, I can't bring myself to say those words to his face. Not now. Not on Christmas. Another time.

I'm still the same coward I was nine years ago.

"You don't have to worry," Ness says as if to reassure me, anxiously watching me button on my shirt. "My mom already knows who you are. Besides, it's not like we're actually dating yet." As if realizing what he's said, Ness starts to stammer, his face turning bright red. "Not that I'd  _mind_  dating you, you're... I-I just..."

I grin. He's so obvious.

I wonder how it took so long to notice. The way he smiles. The way he stammers. The latter, especially. Ness is a naturally smooth talker. It isn't like him to be flustered out of words so easily.

I've taken him for granted.

"...I hate ties," Ness grunts instead, hurrying into the bathroom.

His words are not unsupported. I almost strangle Ness when I accidentally make his knot too tight, but surprisingly, Ness doesn't have much trouble with ties, giving me a passable Windsor.

"I've been in the celeb business longer than you have, remember?" With a noisy crow of delight, he flexes his arms to strike a ridiculous pose against the mirror. "Shit, look at us, we're on  _PK_ _fire."_

I can tell that he's trying to lift my mood, but it's honestly the worst pun I've heard by far.

"Narcissist," I chortle, pushing past him.

"Hey, I heard that!"

Like a hyperactive ball of energy, Ness does a happy jig all the way down the stairs to the limo, and seeing him goof off makes my mind lighter. Ness always had a way of lifting heavy thoughts from my head.

"Maybe we should ditch the dinner reception with the sponsors tonight," Ness suggests once we've strapped ourselves into the passenger seats. "I'd rather spend Christmas watching  _Home Alone_  on TV than listening to some boring speech Master Hand came up with in the shower."

"The sponsors did fund the games. We have to thank them in person."

"Must be nice to be rich. Then again, I can't complain about my salary raise." Ness spares a glance my way, and his eyes soften. "Hey, you still nervous?"

I swallow down the lump in my throat. "I can't say that I'm not."

"You take everything seriously. It'll be all right. My mom made a reservation at a high-end breakfast place because she knew people were going to be around-"

"There'll be people?" I croak.

"We'll have our own private room, so it'll be okay," Ness says, frantically waving his hands around. "It's just, when we walk out of the limo-"

I shake my head. "Another crowd of your fans. Exactly what we needed."

"Shut up, you dork," Ness retorts. "I would've teleported us, but I figured that we shouldn't get ash on our clothes if we're wearing them tonight. Anyways, my mom would've thrown a right fit."

"I can't believe she convinced Master Hand to overturn your House Arrest."

"My mom can be very persuasive when she gets angry," Ness says solemnly.

I don't deny that.

Reclining his head, Ness looks out of the tinted window. "Lucas... I won't pretend to know what's been on your mind lately, but I know that you're under a lot of pressure. If you ever need to talk about something, I'm always here."

Talk about something...

_You like him, don't you?_

_No son of mine is a fucking faggot._

_I never should've let you into my home._

_Lucas, I'm so happy. I'm so much happier with Paula._

"Thanks," I say sincerely, and when Ness breaks into a smile and squeezes my hand, I find that I don't mind as much. Though I probably should. His hand is kind of hot and sweaty, but I find myself gripping his hand tighter. I can't let go.

Because I've finally found someone I like, Claus.

And he likes me back.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

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When the limo peels into the "Beverly Hills Breakfast and Burger," fans have already gathered around in growing excitement as our bodyguards clear a path to the restaurant. The moment Ness jumps out, the screams intensify. When he smiles, his teeth are bright against the morning sun.

All eyes are on him.

The entire world might as well be looking at him.

Suddenly I can't breathe. The crowd distorts before my eyes. All I see are a sea of hands and feet, hands grabbing, eyes snapping wide open, mouths opening and closing-

Ness pops his head back in. "Hey, need a hand?" he jokes, eyes bright.

My mind clears. The restaurant. We're here to meet Ness's mom.

Breathing in, I grip onto his hand like a drowning survivor. "Don't let go."

"I don't plan to," Ness says seriously, grabbing hold of my wrists and pulling me out into the open.

The walk to the restaurant lasts an eternity. All the time, Ness stays smiling at my side, gracing the crowd with a quick autograph or two. When a waitress ushers us in and leads us to the reserved rooms, I finally regain all the feeling in my hands.

"I can't believe we're already this famous," Ness says, letting go of my hand to pour water. "By the way, your poker face is lit. I wish I could give no fucks about life."

"What are you talking about, I'm just not good with crowds," I groan.

"It didn't show. Lucky bastard. You don't have to  _do_  anything but stand there to look cool," Ness complains. "I mean, do you know how much effort it takes for me to reach that cool status? Talking. Lots of sweet-talking."

Privately, I think that Ness is downplaying both his own popularity and my social anxiety, but I'm suddenly preoccupied by a voice from the not-so empty seats in front of us.

"You two are so gross," Tracy says, but she's smiling wider than I've ever seen her smile.

Which means, that the person sitting next to her is...

Ness's mom isn't smiling. For the first time I've known her, her expression is terrifying, completely devoid of any emotion. "Lucas. I heard that you're dating my son."

"Mom-" Ness begins, but she silences him with a hard look.

Here it is. The moment of truth. I can't bring myself to meet her eyes. I'm afraid to read her thoughts. My cheek tingles from the phantom blow; I can still feel her furious fingernails rake across my skin.

Ness gives my hand an encouraging squeeze under the table. I can feel his chest rise and fall next to me.

Warm. Reassuring.

"I'm sorry," I manage. "We didn't mean to hide it from you-"

To my bewilderment, she and Tracy burst out laughing. "I knew I could break that pokerface," Ness's mom smirks, and a hot wave of mortification prickles up my neck.

"Geez, Mom, I told you not to scare him," Ness groans.

"All in the name of good fun, dear," his mom says, finally catching her breath, then opens her arms with a gentler voice. "Come on, Lucas, give this no-good lady a hug." Relieved, I lean over, and when she reaches across the table and wraps her arms around me, all of my insecurities melt away.

With a deep exhale, she presses me closer. "Oh, I'm so relieved it's you," Ness's mom breathes. "I'm sorry for all the horrid things I said last time you came over. Ness told me that you were already facing hardship at home, and on top of that... oh, Lucas, you must've been so scared-"

Shit my shoulders won't stop shaking and I feel my own voice slipping through the cracks. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize, you've done nothing wrong." Gently gripping the sides of my shoulders, Ness's mom gives me a satisfied smile, then tucks a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "When Ness first brought you over to our place back in third grade, I always thought how lucky I was to have gained another son. So don't apologize, not when you are the greatest gift God could've given us. You will always be welcome at our home."

Her acceptance was more than I could've wished for.

My eyes start to sting.

Something nudges me in the side, and when I glance down, blinking a little rapidly because there's a feels trip stuck in my eye, Ness triumphantly beams up at me.  _I told you it'd work out_  his expression reads.

"Great, so Lucas is an angel. Nothing new," Tracy drawls, dipping her pancakes into syrup. "Ness on the other hand-"

"You shut up!" Ness starts furiously.

"If you're older, then act the part," his mom says sternly.

Successfully escaping from admonishment, Tracy breaks into a wide smirk. "Lucas, whenever Ness starts bothering you, don't be afraid to let me or my mom know-"

"I don't bother Lucas!"

"We should hear it from the source himself," Ness's mom says, her eyes shining with her son's mischief. "Well?"

"Er..." Hard-pressed by looks on all sides, I raise my hands in surrender. "Hard pass."

Ness scowls. "You dolt, I held your hand when you totally froze up in the limo."

"I have no recollection of this incident whatsoever," I say innocently.

"I, you- aUGH, you jerk! I'm the bestest boyfriend anyone can ever have-"

"And this is why he's been single for so long," Tracy comments, shaking her head. "Utterly hopeless."

"Come back when you actually get yourself a boyfriend."

"Lucas, how much did my brother pay you to-"

"I didn't PAY him to be my boyfriend, you twat!"

"Like I said, Lucas, I'm so glad you two are dating. Seriously, my brother acts like a total fuckboy sometimes, but he really is smitten with you-"

"Ness, Tracy!  _Language!"_

"I'm not smitten!"

 _He's lying_ , Tracy mouths at me from across the table, and Ness throws another fit.

His family is noisy and loud. Meeting his mother's eyes from across the table, I secretly grin and take a bite of chocolate pancake.

I think I can get used to this.

When the meal is finished and the hefty tip is paid, Tracy leads her mother away to the restroom. Taking advantage of their absence, Ness finds the time to enact his rightful vengeance on me.

"I can't believe you sold me out," Ness grumbles. "Honestly, I don't see what my mom sees in you. Angel? Talk about giving me an aneurysm."

"It's not my fault you keep making things up-"

"I wasn't making anything up, and you know it!"

"Memory loss? Maybe your old age is catching up to you," I suggest.

"Now everyone thinks that I'm a liar, you two-faced jerk!" Easily ticked off, Ness throws himself onto me, and grinning so widely that my heart feels like it's about to burst, I struggle to avoid his headlock. He pulls me over by the neck, and when I playfully puff up my cheeks, he traps my face with his hands. He presses a little too hard though, and air ends up exploding out of my cheeks with a wet  _pbbllt._  Ness scrunches up his forehead in complaint. "Ewww, you just spit on my face."

"Common sense, don't press on puffed cheeks," I try to pull my head free out of his arms, but when his headlock tightens around my neck, I notice his eyes light up in a mischievous gleam. "Oh no, help, I'm stuck-"

"You need to pay for the toll."

"Ness, I can't walk around like this," I laugh, awkwardly hobbling along like the hunchback of Notre Dame.

"I don't think you heard me." Ness slyly presses his forehead to mine and lowers his voice. I catch a sliver of his purple irises through his half-lidded eyes. "I said you need to pay for the toll."

His hands feel warm on my face, and I fluster. "My wallet's in my pocket-"

I should've seen that kiss coming.

Easy as that, Ness lets go. "My mom's here," he blurts out like a dazed idiot, then takes off like a sputtering rocket with a skip in its step.

What a weirdo.

But feeling the pleased flush prickle down my arms, I realize that I can't ever win against him. No matter what I do, he somehow ends up at my side as if he's always belonged there.

He really is something else, that Ness.

Once we wave his family off to their own set of bodyguards  _(to my chagrin, Ness starts squabbling with his sister as we leave, and his mother pinches them both in the ear for misbehaving)_ , in no time, we're out of the car and racing each other up the stairs of the Mansion.

"This... was a bad idea," Ness groans, grabbing a stitch at his chest once we've finally hit the tenth floor suites.

I've already given up on standing, twitching over on my knees like a dying spider. "I ate too much," I wheeze.

"Well, we both know that I won."

"A likely story. I took the stairs three at a time while you were snailing your way up-"

"Not everyone has long legs, doofus," Ness retorts, staggering to grab the wall before almost colliding into three figures walking down the hallway.

Catching sight of our pitiful forms, Ike raises his eyebrows. Equally tickled silly, Roy clutches his ribs and breaks out into laughter. "Holy shit, did you two race each other up the stairs?"

"Boys," Marth scoffs.

"Come back here and say it to my face," Ness yells, but he's so out of breath that it sounds like a dying wheeze.

Marth shakes his head, turning to his companions. "I tell you, adolescence is truly a frightening beast."

"Indeed," Ike says.

"I have to side with Marth on this one. You two are terrifying," Roy says, glancing down the grand royal-red staircase in stupefied awe. "Completely crazy. Now I owe Shulk 10G for betting against his premonition..."

Talking amongst themselves, they leave us to suffer alone in the corridor.

When I recover the breath to stand, I haul my dead feet towards the mail slot. Ness follows, venting out his displeasure.

"Who even bets  _against_  Shulk's future vision?" Ness says furiously once the three Fire Emblem characters are out of earshot. "And since when did those three hang out together?"

"Beats me," I respond automatically, sorting out my mail. Each Smasher can request mail from selective addresses. Letters from home, for example, would be directly dropped off into the apartments. For Ness, our mail system helps filter out letters he wants from home and friends from the rest of the pile.

Given my obscurity, I get very little fan mail, but with my cartridge on the loose, I find myself picking at the straws. When I fumble for my card key, Ness nervously eyes my hand. "Careful, we probably got a shit ton of hatemail this week."

"It'll be okay, I don't get as much fan mail as you do," I reassure him, swiping my cardkey. With a beep, the handle swings open, and I start sorting out the mail. Fan mail offering condolences over my mom's death. Some hate mail. Christmas sales. Requests from advertising companies once I turn of age. As mundane as they might be, their warm sentiment is appreciated, and I press the former into my pocket. I'll bring them over to the Buddhist temple the next time I visit my mom.

"Gay chink?" Predictably worked up, Ness takes out his anger on my hatemail by violently tearing one of the offensive letters into half. "Why are you reading this stuff? It's all toxic shit-"

"You're one to talk. Someone sent you dick pics last week."

"This is why no one except Sonic reads fan mail."

I toss another  _Dillards 50% off!_  into the trash. "Just throw it away, Ness. It's not worth getting worked up over."

Sulking, Ness slams it into the trashcan.

It looks like my dad hasn't sent me any mail, but I know that his silence is a solid statement. My heart sinks. I'll have to clarify things with him later, say that the shipping scandal was unfounded, and hopefully convince him that I'm not really dating my best friend. Yet.

But there's one letter that strikes out the most.

A letter wrapped in a golden envelope.

An unknown sender.

Addressed to me.

I open up the envelope. All the letters are cut and glued from various magazines:

 **EVERYONE'S WAITING FOR YOU, LUCAS. WAITING TO THROW ROCKS AT YOU, AND SPIT ON YOU, AND MAKE YOUR LIFE HELL.**  
**WHO'S EVERYONE?**  
**EVERYONE YOU LOVE.**

...Where have I heard this before?

Ness grimly grabs me by the wrist. "Lucas, I think that's enough for today. We checked the mail. We didn't find anything related to the cartridge-"

Suddenly the funky taste of shrooms won't leave my mouth. "The cartridge. This has to be a quote from the cartridge."

"That came from your cartridge?" Ness says in disbelief.

"I know I've heard this before. It has to be from my past." I grab the letter and re-read its contents as if almost willing myself to remember, but to my frustration, the glimmer of recognition has already faded out of reach.

Tanetane.

Tanetane Something.

"Tanetane?" Ness repeats when I bring it up. "You think a guy named Tanetane said this?"

"I don't remember his last name."

"That's odd. It sounds more like a place than a person." Ness peers over my shoulder to frown at the letter. "Do you think this Tanetane person sent this letter to you?"

"Who knows."

"And why would Mr. Tanetane send you letters now?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe he'll send you more letters. If he does, I hope this is the worst of it."

"This might be Tanetane's quote, but I'm sure that he's not the person behind the letter. It's the person who stole my cartridge. They're two different people." I impatiently rub my forehead. "I don't care what he sends me, I just want to remember."

"Your game is messed up," Ness says darkly.

I lower my voice. "Do you think Porky's behind all this?"

"It's a good guess. Porky's vengeful, but he's not stupid. He knows how to cover his tracks well." Ness turns away with a grimace. "But we shouldn't jump to conclusions. The police haven't found proof that Porky was behind the SkyTrain, so he's definitely undercover. Doesn't help that the Amnesty Act protects him-"

"The Amnesty Act?" I echo.

"Right, you started Brawl when the bill was passed." Ness sheepishly rubs the back of his neck. "Smash City is the City of Second Chances. That means anyone holding criminal records before Subspace is given a fresh pass. Their previous criminal history is erased. That's why you see Eggman loitering in the front gates every morning. Haven't you noticed him? He's even outside right now."

We drop all conversation, and ah, yes, I vaguely hear it. The sound of a triumphant middle-aged man crowing at the top of his lungs like a fire siren. Carried by the wind, a faint cry of,  _Aha! Finally, after all my years of trying, I've found_ _Sonic the_   _Hedgehog!_  travels across the Mansion, and from the window, we watch in amusement as a distraught Eggman demands re-entry when security turns him away.

"Has he ever figured out that the shouting might've given him away," I note.

"Course he does. Sonic thinks that Eggman's a nuisance, but they fight more like frenemies than rivals. Unfortunately for us, Pokey holds a nasty grudge." Ness's eyes turn bitter. "I don't understand how he's aged so much. But I'm not surprised. Porky might have been a victim of fate, but he's always ended up making the wrong choices until the very end."

Sensing his disquiet, I nudge him in the side for encouragement.

It seems to do the trick. Ness catches my eye, and breaks into a smile. "But I'd like to think that if he was anything like you, then he would've turned out all right."

"I don't think it's fair to compare him to anyone. I didn't have much, but I grew up with good parents."

"Now you're being modest."

"I made choices that could've ruined my life, but I was lucky to have met you," I say softly, stopping to beep us into our apartment. "Porky didn't know better. Children of abusive parents tend to become abusers themselves."

"Never thought I'd see the day you'd be sympathetic towards my archnemesis."

"You just brought up a fair point."

"Bringing up fair points is your job," he says, and the minute I latch the door shut, Ness suddenly wraps his arms around me and buries his face into my back.

I glance down at him in surprise. "Hey, what gives-"

"Can I say something selfish? Even if things don't work out... I just wanted you to know..." His entire body starts shaking. "I love you. I love you so much. I'm sorry I lied, and I promise I won't do it again. We'll figure things out. Together. You don't have to tell your dad anything until you're ready, but just... don't leave me."

I quietly loosen his fingers. "Don't cry, Ness."

"I love you."

"I know."

And when he grabs me over by the face to kiss me, I don't resist.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

After another shower and change into formal wear, Ness doesn't bring the matter back up. Acting as if nothing had happened, he cheerfully waves me goodbye before heading off to his prep team for a makeover. I smile. Knowing how long it takes to do my hair, I'll see him later tonight.

As bubbly as bubble bath, Phosphora whips out a hand mirror. "All done! Here you go, gorgeous," she sings, and murmuring a thanks, I gingerly set the mirror aside. If vampires are allergic to garlic, then mirrors are mine.

This act doesn't go unnoticed by the deity. "Self-conscious? I don't blame you. No one can beat Pit's attractive face," she sighs dreamily. "I'm sure you've noticed it by now."

"Can't say I have."

"That's because you earthly morons lack taste. I mean, Ness? Over Pitt? Really? If that's who you were going to be gay for, you were better off single." Phosphora taps her chin in thought. "Though I can see why you chose him. Ness is one of the Original Twelve, isn't he? I bet he's totally loaded."

I roll my eyes. "Oh you've caught me. Fame and riches. What I truly desire from life."

"I know! I swear, it's all girls my age ever think about. Stupid cunts." Phosphora darts around. She's stuck in a punk rock phase; her entire left half is tattooed with blue-yellow lightning bolts. "I mean, all guys ever think about are boobs and butts-"

"I'm sure we manage to think of other things on the side," I say wryly.

"You're no fun," she sniffs, and with a jolt, I've realized that I've spoken out loud. "I can never get under your skin. You and... what's-his-face? Red. He just sits there and says  _nothing_. Most boys would've been seething in rage by now! Well, except for Pitt. He's such a sweetheart."

"Pitt works for Palutena," I smirk.

As expected, this gets on her nerves. "Palutena's a cow," Phosphora shrieks, slamming down her hand mirror. "She's so old and fat and ugly!"

"Phosphora!" Palutena says indignantly, her heels clicking over from her prep station. Her green hair is glistening with freshly-applied gel.

"Yeah, I called you a cow. What are you gonna do about it," Phosphora snickers.

"Wiser deities than you have been banned from the skies for foul language-"

"You are not welcome here! Now Moo-ve along, Palutena," she sings, flapping her hands away.

This doesn't bode too well for Phosphora. After given a stern lecture by Palutena who tells the teenage deity off for her behavior, Phosphora sulks at my side. "You're the worst. You knew she was in the stall next to us, didn't you?"

"I had no idea," I say innocently.

"You're lucky I kind of like you." Hearing another voice echo across the atrium, she looks up into the mirror then shrieks, almost dropping her comb in panic. "It's Pitt! Here," she says quickly, thrusting the hand mirror into my hands and releasing her hair from a spiky ponytail. "How do I look?"

"How am I supposed to know. You're the makeover artist."

"And  _you're_  supposed to be gay," she retorts, impatiently snatching the mirror back and pushing me out of my chair. "Oh, nevermind. Now if anyone asks you who did your make up, give them my business card. Pitt dearest," she calls out, waving her hands. "Yoohoo, over here!"

The afternoon passes in a blur. Captain of the Mansion's SWAT team, Chrom barks out orders to station guards at all entrances, his winter cape billowing behind his every demand. Thinly grasping a metal detector, Tingle clears the receptionist desk for itineraries.

I end up helping the other Smashers set up dining tables in the Main Atrium. Wherever I look, red ribbons lavishly spell  _Merry Christmas_  in wide cursive loops. Under the endless ceiling of chandeliers, porcelain dishes and silver cutlery glitter around each tabletop. In the center of the room, a fresh pine tree twinkles, showing off its dress of colorful baubles and glowing fairy lights. When I see Master Hand float past with the Original Twelve across stage, lecturing them on their individual speeches, Ness catches my eye with a grin. Flustering, I turn away, almost knocking over a wine glass.

On every annual Christmas Dinner, Master Hand lowers security to allow sponsors to enter Smash Mansion. This means wards that had been in place are stripped for a few hours. While no one outside the mansion is notified of these changes, Master Hand is always testy of lowering the barrier to strangers.

His caution is well-received. Nothing has ever happened over the past few years, and no one is stupid enough to try.

Even with Porky on the loose, I can't help but feel at ease.

When the final preparations have been made, Master Hand returns with the Original Twelve in tow. He's donned in a silk glove topped with a tiny Santa hat on his pinky for the fancy occasion, and beside him in identical wear, his brother twitches erratically.

 **"Smashers, the evening is late, and the night is early. We have toiled through another year of hard work, yet I find myself dragging you away from family and friends on this Christmas night.** **Leave a warm impression on our guests. Treat our sponsors kindly. We are villains, heroes, anyone and anything in-between. Smash City is the City of Second Chances, a city of love, and we must embrace those values to heart..."**  His unseen eyes linger on Ness. **"Above all, enjoy the festivities. You are the stars of tonight's show. Merry Christmas to you all!"**

His words are met with warm-hearted approval.

Suddenly his brother interrupts the applause with a shriek,  **"bLOOdY HEll, bROTher! WHeN wiLL YoU sTOP sUGARcOatiNg THe TRuTH WiTH yOUr HAlf-WIttED NoNSEnsE?"**  Pointing at the elegant pitchers of lemon water on each table, he breaks into a hysterical cackle.  **"wHEre tHe hECk iS tHe WiNe? LEt'S aLL GeT wAStED-!"**

In an amusing fit of mortification, Master Hand drags his brother off the stage, no doubt to admonish him on proper manners, and a ripple of laughter travels across the crowd.

Then Tingle rings the bell for guests to enter, and when the jazzy symphony of trumpets and piano softly plays in the background, we disperse to find our assigned seats in the sea of white tablecloths. Two Smashers per table. Nervously, I replace the card labeled  ** _Lucas_**  on my seat and glance at the twelve empty chairs on stage.

Already chattering away with a smile, Ness shakes an old man's hand in welcome, leading him through the doors. Any trace of messy hair is gone with his tattered baseball cap. His hair shining under the lights, Ness looks unusually well-groomed for the occasion.

Awkwardly tugging on my collar, I make myself busy with the itinerary. Master Hand's introductory speech. Dinner and Q&A with the Twelve. The Christmas Dance. I can't rely on Ness's social skills to save the day. He'll be stuck with the rest of the Twelve all throughout dinner.

I'll just have to survive until the dance.

"Man, Lucas, I keep bumping into you," Popo says cheerfully, taking his seat next to me, and I almost jump out of my skin.

"I thought Red-"

"I stole his seat. He wasn't too thrilled about the change, but I like the refreshments on this table better," Popo winks, already pouring himself a glass of Italian white wine. "Hey, if anyone asks, I'm drinking water."

I'm doomed.

As if catching something from the corner of his eyes, Popo grins and sends a flirty wave towards the stage.

I glance over. All of the Twelve are still occupied with greeting their guests. "Do you recognize someone?"

"Nah, just repaying a favor for an old friend." Popo slaps me in the back. "You look so serious. Cheer up! I won't get you drunk."

At this point, a breathtaking blonde in a sparkling red  _Jessica Rabbit_  dress makes her way to our table. The sleeveless garment swishes around her heels like a mermaid's tail. "Hello, boys. What a beautiful Christmas evening," she says throatily, a thick french accent on her voice.

Instantly, Popo leaps out of his seat. "Certainly, Madame Jeanne. Allow me to show you your seat."

Madame Jeanne breaks into a wide smile. "Charming as always, Popo."

"Only for you, Madame."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Kiss up.

"You are Lucas?" Madame Jeanne asks when I shake her elegant gloved hands and answer in positive. "Bayonetta has spoken very highly of you."

"Er... she has?"

"Oh yes. She says that you are very intelligent."

Taken aback, I feel the back of my neck burn. My face probably looks ridiculously mortified, because Popo is busy stifling a laugh into his arm. "I-I'm flattered," I stammer.

"Ah, speak of the devil! I see Bayonetta herself. Stay strong in hard times, my dear," Madame Jeanne says affectionately. She kisses me twice on each cheek, then waves me adieu, leaving me stunned in place.

"I'm telling Ness."

I groan. "Don't."

"Yeah well, if you don't mind me, I'm going to go and greet all the ladies before they're all taken," Popo teases, cheekily blowing me a joking kiss. "Adieu, Lucas!"

Shaking my head, I return to greeting and seating sponsors. Thankfully, no one tries to kiss me, platonically or otherwise, and by the time it's all over, I wade through the sea of tables to my seat. It's easy to spot my place, because I quickly catch the tell-tale chestnut color of Popo's hair, and when I seat myself between him and an old gray-haired man with tinted blue skin, the man suddenly latches onto my wrist.

"Lucas," he wheezes.

It's impossible not to recognize the aged face in front of me.

My own face closes up. "Porky Minch."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

A voice interrupts our intense stare-down. "Man, I'm hungry," Popo complains loudly, grabbing Porky's glass. "Mr. Minch, would you like some wine?"

Porky easily lets go. "Don't mind if I do," he wheezes.

I grip my hand and will myself to stop shaking. "What are you doing here?"

"That's Master Porky to you. Remember, I'm a sponsor now." His gloating smile widens. "Lucas, I have both money and power. For someone who has neither, I expect you to know your place."

The appetizers roll out.

"So Porky, what have you been up to after Subspace?" Popo asks, casually picking up his cranberry crostini. "I've heard that you've been relatively successful in the business world."

"After Subspace? I rebuilt my funds. My father was incompetent, so I took over the family business." Porky gives into an unpleasant laugh that sounds more like a wheeze. "But really, I'm still a child at heart. I love to play with my toys."

"I can see that. You do own a toy factory," Popo agrees.

"I'm an avid collector. A huge Earthbound fan."

Underneath the table cloth, his hand rests on my thigh. Ignoring him, I try to shake it off, but when his hand crawls up too close for comfort, I'm forced to stop. "Can I help you," I ask pointedly.

"I don't think Lucas likes me very much."

Still smiling, Popo leans over. "That's probably because your hand is heading a bit south," he says, and Porky removes his hand.

"My bad," Porky wheezes. "I thought I dropped my napkin."

"No ill will intended, I'm sure," Popo says cheerfully, but this time, there's a hidden warning under his tone. "Ah, and Mr. Nook, I hear you own a real estate business! Man, I feel like you could tell us some stories about the Villager-"

The appetizers are replaced with main courses. Lamb Salad with Fregola. Broiled Lobster Tail with Butter.

Porky is smart not to pull the same trick twice, but suddenly sick to my stomach, I leave my plate uneaten.

It's easy to forget about the dark shade that exists under the umbrella of fame.

Instead, I pay attention to the Q&A session overhead. It's a struggle to keep my voice calm, but somehow, I manage to engage in passable conversation with the other sponsors at our table. Though when a sponsor asks Ness  _what is your greatest weakness?_  and he sheepishly responds  _food_ , it makes me feel a bit better.

Concluding dessert with a mouthwatering assortment of fruit tarts, Master Hand brings the dinner to a close with a few choice words. When he snaps his fingers, all the tables and chairs scoot themselves out of the atrium. Magical snow softly falls from the ceiling with the cooing of Mariah Carey's  _All I Want for Christmas Is You_ , and a waiting line of servers bustle into the Ballroom dance floor with refreshments in hand.

"Finally, the fun stuff." Craning his neck over the crowd, Popo straightens his tie. He must have had more than a bit to drink, because his balance has turned sloppy. "Ooh, I think I see a real eye-catcher. Hope she doesn't have a boyfriend-"

I find myself cracking a smile. "Go for it."

"Thanks, man. You know I will." As Popo disappears through the crowd, I see that Ness has already jumped off the stage, no doubt fed up with formalities.

"Don't bother, I have eyes in the back of my head," I deadpan when I sense Porky reaching for my shoulder.

"I heard your father got sick," Porky wheezes unpleasantly, dropping his grubby hand to pick at the suit around his portly belly. "Pneumonia, was it? My condolences. He must work hard to rid your family of debt. Unfortunately for your daddy, he's one thousand dollars short this month."

My blood runs cold. "How did you know."

Porky wheezes with laughter. "Like father, like son. You two are stupid to the core. Your father signed a contract with me under the Minch name. He owes me over 100k." Catching my stricken expression, Pokey wheezes harder. "Your father didn't tell you? I can see why he never let you come along to our consultant meetings. What an allmighty idiot."

One thousand dollars.

My mouth turns dry. I'm not sure that I have the money.

"You hiked up our interest. You're a loan shark," I say bitterly.

"One grand. Cough it up."

"I don't have one grand."

"You don't have one grand," Porky repeats with a wheeze. "Then you don't have much of a choice, do you? Sell yourself."

My jaw tightens. "Give us another month."

"Everyone does sexual favors at some point in their celebrity career. You're no exception. Sell yourself for a night, and I'll let your family go."

"Give us another month."

"Awfully persistent, are you? Everyone's waiting for you, Lucas. Waiting to throw rocks at you, and spit on you, and make your life hell."

"You stole my cartridge."

"You have no idea how much you owe me. You toppled my reign. You stole Ness away from me. But with my eternal life, I will see the world through to its end. Until everyone who won't like me is gone," Porky wheezes. His small piggy eyes burn with hatred. "Lucas, you might have messed my life up the first time round, but you're at my mercy now. I own your past and your future. Give me one grand, or I'll send my debtors after your father."

I do my best to stare him down. "If you send anyone after my dad, I'll make sure that you'll live the rest of your life behind bars."

"Of course you will," Porky wheezes, unfazed. "It's pathetic how you forgot about your own past-"

_"Give us another month-"_

"Lucas, you killed your twin brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make the Pokey/Porky distinction clear:  
> "Pokey" is the name I give him during the events of Earthbound, and "Porky" is the name I give him during the events of Mother 3. Apt, I think for a kid tyrant. 
> 
> Pedophilia is considered "the number-one problem in Hollywood," so I wanted to add some realistic details to the fic. As someone who's always written Porky in a sympathetic light, I think Porky is definitely more twisted and OoC in this fic than I could've ever imagined. Eurgh. The real world is dark as fuckkk


	23. Lucas Breaks the Fourth Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Porky tries to negotiate.  
> Ness isn't amused.

Lucas should wear suits more often.

This is literally the only thought passing through my head while Master Hand drones on and on about the proper way to answer questions, greet guests, something something good manners something. It sucks that Lucas and I can't sit together for dinner, but I'm not worried. We've got the entire night after to celebrate Christmas.

Oh yeah, and I kissed him.

Twice.

In one day.

Not that I'm keeping track, of course.

I try to smother the weird giddy gay noises into my hands, because the last thing I need is for Master Hand to think I'm convulsing and call for life support. I can't believe I just went for it and kissed him. And Lucas let me. I glance over with a grin and catch Lucas watching me. Flustering, he turns away, almost tripping over his own shoes.

His hair looks really soft.

I want to touch it.

 **"Ness, eyes over here,"**  Master Hand deadpans, and I flush when the rest of the Twelve break out into a chorus of giggles and snorts.

Still, I can't help but sneak another glance when Master Hand isn't watching, because fuck me, Lucas actually looks hot in a suit, and my mind's stuck in this perpetual loop of "Help I've fallen and can't get back up."

On second thought, buying that Life Alert doesn't seem too ridonkulous.

Then something like a cold draft tightens up my chest like an iron fist, and I clutch my stomach because the feeling's travelling through my entire body like a wire. My empathy link. It's never been wrong before.

With rising dread, I glance up in time to see Tingle open up the double doors to the first guest in line.

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter Twenty-Three**_ ~

_**Lucas Breaks the Fourth Wall** _

_._

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* * *

My relationship with Porky is - to be put simply - complicated.

We used to be on talking terms. Closer too, I guess. As neighbors, it was kinda inevitable, playing pretend and make-believe tales of dragons and kings. I'm not sure when the divide happened, but at some point, it all stopped when he woke me up one night banging on my front door and howling up a storm. His parents came to take him back shortly after. His mother blubbered some stupid fib about Porky running away and  _oh, kids these days are so rebellious, aren't they?_  before hauling him back to their place.

I remember that the change had been gradual. Porky began picking on his little brother. He bullied kids weaker than he was just because he could. And while I watched his victims cry over scraped knees and bruised injuries, I never spoke up for any of them. I never said anything.

Porky didn't have many friends.

Maybe that was why I never had the heart to speak up against him.

Perhaps I should've said something. My mom had such a saying,  _He who gets off with stealing a pencil eventually steals time in a jail cell_. Basically, with a fucked-up family who had the cash to rig any lawsuit, Porky never had anyone to correct him on the right path. He became the Eric Cartman of the neighborhood, and everyone learned to fear him. Victimized and manipulative, Porky only ended up driving people away. Eventually, even me.

I'm sure he felt it too. Because the harder I tried to run away, the tighter Porky clung on.

And as Porky pushed me away, Lucas stepped into his place.

As a kid, I first saw Lucas as a second chance to stand up for somebody else. But now, I'm not quite sure why my kiddie self thought that way. Lucas and Porky really couldn't have been more different, even if they tried.

Porky was always too busy feeling sorry for himself.

Lucas actually went out and did something about it.

Porky pushed other people down to stay on top.

Lucas strove to climb up the social ladder with his bare hands.

Porky joined forces with an evil alien mastermind to take over the planet. All  _just_  to spite me. Take a good second to let that sink in.

And Lucas...

Need I say more?

Of what fascist tendencies Porky's been up to since Subspace, I have not a fucking clue, nor do I want to know. But after hearing about the existence of Lucas's different timeline, I'm getting the feeling that there's a special story behind Porky's beef against Lucas, and that whatever it is, it's personal. And I don't think I'll PK-like whatever's Porky's got planned, nope, not at all.

Because while I can describe Porky with many words, stupid isn't one of them. If Porky's finally decided to show his pudgy face again, then he's on the move. Seriously, after trying to bomb us skyhigh to Tokyo, Porky magically appears tonight as a sponsor, then decides to sit NEXT to Lucas for dinner out of the good of his heart. Coincidence? I think not.

Something smells fishy. And no, it's not the lobster.

As my mom tells me, always trust your gut.

Loud applause breaks my train of thought. I've lost track of the time... oh cool, Samus is at the podium. We must finally be at the awards ceremony. Perfect timing. When s̶e̶x̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶l̶e̶g̶s̶ Bayonetta glides onto the stage to join Samus in her matching dress suit, smirking like she's won the whole fucking team tournament (hint hint, they did), I take the chance to check on Lucas. To my relief, he looks all right, just taking his time to speak with a curious Tom Nook. Though another cursory glance has turned on my  _wtf_  switch, because Popo looks strangely sluggish, like he's already drunk on his ass. Except I know better. Popo has a highass tolerance outta this world-

Holy fuck, he's slumped over on his seat.

Is he sleeping?

 _HEY,_  I think loudly, but as usual, my telepathy must be shit, because Popo doesn't even raise a hand to flip me off.

However, Mewtwo  _does_  respond to my crappy attempts at subtle communication with an annoyed flick of his tail, and I immediately stop because I value my life, thank you very much. Instead, I tug on Popo's empathy link, worried that this idiot's had a drink too much.

As slow as the DMV ( _god I hate that place, took me forever to get my driver's license_ ), Popo lifts his head. Even from this distance, I can make out the fucking Cheshire Cat grin growing lazily across his face before he slides me a scummy thumbs up. Huh, I guess he was really dozing off. I don't blame him. Master Hand is droning on, and on, and on...

There's no escape from this hell.

Someone save me.

**"-and the dance floor is yours. Merry Christmas!"**

Hallelujah, my prayers have been answered.

Even before Master Hand snaps his fingers like a magician, I'm on my feet, jumping off the stage like it's hot. As I soar through the air, the atrium transforms into a sparkling ballroom dance floor before my eyes. When I land, gay Christmas jingles are turned up to max from unseen speakers. Soft snow even falls from the ceiling, magically disappearing in cool wisps whenever at the slightest touch, and the ceiling turns transparent so we can see the glittering stars.

Damn, Master Hand's gone all out today.

Like I said, magic.

Trying not to look too desperate, I rush forward to wherever I saw Lucas last, because it'll be hella hard to find him when the entire crowd rises onto their feet. But then I remember that Lucas is an ungodly 6'3", and that while he certainly can't see me, I won't have too much trouble picking him out. For once, I'm sorely grateful for his freakishly tall height.

A flash of a blond cowlick.

There he is.

Except he's not alone.

Lucas stands fixedly in place, looking every bit as rigid as a board. Smiling congenially, Porky leans over to say something to him. He shoves a small object into Lucas's limp hands, and when Lucas turns it over, I recognize it. A battered Game Boy Advance that's seen better days? No, wait, there's something slotted inside. A cartridge.

Any remaining color drains out of Lucas's face.

I decide to play nice and intervene.

Catching sight of me, Porky's smile widens. "Ness! Long time, no see," Porky wheezes, and though it's not the first time I've seen his sorry state, holy shit, call the nursery homes because Porky has  _aged._  Like, a lot. We should be the same age, but the Porky I remember barely resembles the portly, blue-tinted, wrinkly old man I see in front of me. What happened to him before Subspace?

"That's my line. What's going on here?" I demand, and Porky's face sours at the less-than-thrilled reception.

"No need for hostility, Nessie," Porky sneers, there's something oddly sinister about his tone that sets off warning bells in my head. He sounds way too happy for a simple convo about a Rent-N-Return, and Lucas's stiff shoulders tell me that Porky's doing his best to make him feel as inhumanly uncomfortable as possible. Gee I wonder why. Underneath his conversational tone, Porky's definitely fuming over my interruption. His feelings are loud enough that even  _I_  can sort of make out his vulgar desires in my head. Something about wanting to fuck Paula, wanting to fuck Lucas, and then wanting to fuck me over. All in that specific order. Eurgh. Too bad I know that Paula would fry his balls to a crisp if he ever laid his hands on her, and that Lucas could send Porky on a free trip to the asylum from permanent brain damage if push came to shove.

As for me?

Yeah, good luck with that, buddy.

"What are you  _really_  doing here?" I say in disgust, and I don't blame Lucas for involuntarily shifting closer to me, because my skin's crawling, and I'm starting to get the bad juju vibes.

"I'm here to take back what rightfully belongs to me," Porky wheezes.

"And I said to give me another month," Lucas responds, his voice as stony as his face.

Ignoring him, Porky reaches around me for Lucas's arm, but stops when Lucas's eyes flare up in warning. An icy chill crawls down my shoulders like an omen of death, dangerous and unwelcome, and I involuntarily step back because holy shit, if Lucas ever shot me  _that_  particular look, I'd be off screaming for my life.

Throughout this entire five-second exchange, Lucas's face has remained eerily impassive.

"Don't touch me," Lucas says evenly, but I'm more alarmed by the uneasy ripple of emotion coursing through our empathy link. Lucas is crumbling.

Still, his deceptively calm tone has forced Porky to pause. "Y-You can't do anything. You wouldn't dare," Porky says uncertainly, his eyes flickering to his face as if trying to call Lucas's bluff, but this time his previous bravado is gone, like he's afraid that Lucas might actually fuck up his mind. Because while Porky might be immortal, he's not completely impervious to pain, and Lucas's eyes are flashing murderously like some cursed medieval sorcery.

Sensing Porky's impending doom ( _no shit_ ), I quickly intervene before either of them can go ape. "Lucas, let's go grab some drinks," I say firmly, grabbing his hand, but Porky blocks our path.

"Where are you fuckers going? This bastard owes me money," Porky sputters indignantly.

"And he said that he'll pay you back in a month. Give it a rest," I shoot back, because I think I've finally made heads or tails of the situation, and right now, dragging Lucas AWAY from Porky sounds like a really good idea.

Porky flushes. In an attempt to cover up his blustering, he wheezes with laughter, but it's ugly and unpleasant, heaving and cracking like the pumps of a used car. In an unnerving show of confidence, his eyes don't leave Lucas's face. "One month, two, it doesn't matter. You can't repay me. You're only postponing your own demise." When Lucas doesn't respond, Porky wheezes again, turning to me. "I don't buy into this shipping scandal. What did he promise you, Ness? An eternity of debt? A one night stand?"

"Oh my god, shut up, shut up, shut uP," I grit between my teeth, because Porky is making it EXTREMELY difficult for me to play it classy and ignore him.

Still Porky doesn't get the damn hint, and backs out after us like a trash truck spewing out garbage. "He killed his own twin. All because his poor brother got in the way of his quest. Ness, he's capable of murder. He's an uncivilized savage-" His eyes fixed straight ahead on a faraway object, Lucas tightens his shaking grip on my hand, and catching onto the almost imperceptible motion, Porky turns to him with a wheeze. "It's a shame that your dad married a squinty-eyed chink. You could've been a purebred. At least your mom's dead. That's one less Tazmilian monkey to worry about-"

Furious, I grab Porky over by the collar. "Say that again."

"Shit, Ness. Did you catch yellow fever too?" Porky guffaws. "Never knew you had a fetish for tiny dicks. Maybe you should ask Lucas to do your math homework for you while you're at it. Or a blow job-"

Losing it completely, I punch him in the face, and Porky goes down like a sack of potatoes. Behind me, I hear alarmed cries and gasps of horror from the crowd, but I give zero fucks, pummeling every inch of his face I can find because I just want to wring Porky by his fat neck for all the twisted, disgusting things he's said-

Someone holds me back by the shoulder. "That's enough, Ness," Lucas says sharply.

I wrench my arm out of his grip. "I'm not done yet-"

"You're causing a scene."

Staring first at the bruise swelling up on Porky's eye to the smeared blood on my hands, I swallow down the lump of unfairness rising up my throat. Suddenly, I'm all-too-aware of the horrified whispers and the terrified spectators around us.

"You  _punched_  me," Porky blubbers incredulously, as if the thought of me punching him into pulp has never crossed his mind before, and as he takes this new development into hard consideration, the SWAT team hastily hurries over. "Them sons of bitches dared to punch me, the great Porky!"

"Who attacked first?" Chrom barks, coming to a full stop in his impressive garb of security gear.

"He did," Porky bawls, pointing at Lucas. "He started it, an' he dragged Ness into it, I saw it with my own two eyes!"

"What? Hold on-" I start, but I'm quickly jostled aside when security guards shove a bewildered Lucas onto the ground.

Chrom's boots echo across the atrium chamber. "Lucas, you have the right to remain silent," he reads, stony-faced. "Anything can be used against you in court-"

Panicking, I grab Chrom by the arm. "Chrom, it wasn't Lucas,  _I_  punched Porky-"

Chrom roughly shakes me off. "All bystanders will stay on the side for testimony-"

"Yeah, but I'm not a bystander. I'm telling you, I punched him," I say angrily.

"He's lying," Porky wails. "Trying to save his friend's hide morelike. I demand compensation! Just you wait, I'll sue this entire place for admitting this riffraff into the tournament-"

Already convinced, Chrom inclines his head, and more guards bustle over to rip me off his arm. I protest louder, but like the massive fuckhead he is, Chrom pretends not to hear me. Amidst the bruise nicely swelling up on his jaw, Porky throws me victorious smile underneath Chrom's elbow-

"Father!" Breathless from running, Lucina emerges onto scene with Pittoo landing at her side. She glances first at me, then at the security guards roughly handcuffing Lucas before raising her eyebrows. "Father, what is the meaning of this?"

"Don't interfere, Lucina."

"Please, father, you can't do this-"

"Begone. I have no daughter," Chrom says stiffly.

Flapping his dark wings once in irritation, Pittoo crosses his arms and gives into a mocking laugh. "Wow. Never thought that you'd sink so low."

Chrom grits his teeth. "All bystanders will remain silent until testimony-"

A sexy 6 inch heel interrupts him with a sharp click, and the Number One tag team shows up to the rescue. "I beg to differ, Chrom," comes a familiar purr.

"Samus! Lady B-Bayonetta!" Lucina stammers, her eyes going round.

"Honestly, Chrom, you are stretching it too far. Let Lucas go," Samus says flatly, storming over and flicking her stun gun to the highest  _overprotective older sister_  mode.

"Samus, let me do my job-"

"Oh, your job? I'll do your precious job for you!" Angrier than I've ever seen her, Samus jabs a finger into Chrom's face like she's about five seconds away from poking his eye out. "You think that  _Lucas_  of all people got riled up, punched Porky in the face, and committed assault under your nose?  _Huh?"_

At this, Chrom reluctantly glances back at me. "Well... perhaps not," he says gruffly. "But all evidence points against him-"

"I said that  _I_  punched Porky!" I almost scream. "I have  _dried blood_  on my hands! What more evidence do you need?"

"It wasn't his fault. Ness was provoked," Lucas says quickly.

"Is that so, little one?" Bayonetta asks softly, her voice dripping with seductive venom. Everyone turns around to face Porky, whose gloating smirk has been wiped out by the sudden turn of events.

Eyeing the loaded gun in Bayonetta's hand as if struggling to weigh his options, Porky finally comes to grips that a possible death in the hands of an angry mama Witch and an older Bounty Hunter sister was not worth getting his hands dirty. "Fine," he says nastily. "Ness punched me. It was an accident, so I'll let it go, all right?"

"Well then, there we go. The case is settled. Fair, simple, and easy," Bayonetta purrs, sheathing her gun into her heel. "Chrom, I hope to see you handling future cases with a dignity befitting the size of your manhood.  _And you,"_  she adds when Porky tries and fails to slip away. In fact, Porky looks all too ready to wet his pants in terror when Bayonetta licks her lips, leaning over his downed form with a wicked smirk. "mMM. I'm growing tired of all the naughty little liars roaming our halls and giving us a bad name. What should we do with him, Samus?"

With a identically murderous scowl on her face, Samus cocks her gun. "That depends. What exactly did he say to provoke you, Ness?"

"I'm sorry!" Porky bawls, wheezing and crawling over to grab me by the ankles in terror. "Ness, I didn't mean it, don't let them hurt me-"

"Don't apologize to me," I say, disgusted, and push him away with the tip of my shoe towards Lucas, whom Chrom is currently unshackling. "Apologize to him."

Porky latches his piggy eyes onto Lucas, and as if unsure of where to train his eyes, Lucas looks extremely uncomfortable, like he doesn't want to be there.

A disarming smile grows on Porky's face. "Lucas," he says cheerfully, walking over to slap him in the back. "You know I didn't mean any of that. It was a joke! All in the name of good fun. You understand, right?" Reaching over to pat his business card into Lucas's coat pocket, Porky's smile doesn't falter. "Ness has a good point. I'll swing by for my debt in a month. You just call me anytime if you need my help repaying it."

Lucas's face turns sickly pale.

As if catching onto the insinuation, Samus grabs her gun. "That sonova bitch-" she starts furiously, but before any of us can do anything, Porky pats me on the shoulder and slips away with a smirk.

Damn it.

I knew I should've kicked him where the sun doesn't shine.

"Calamity! Profanity! Violence is abound," Tingle squeaks, running our way and waving his metal detector in fury. "Oh my, oh dear! The press is going to hear about this. Oh fairies above, rescue poor Tingle from sh-shame!"

"It was well-deserved, Tingle," Samus says grimly, keeping him at bay. During their busy dialogue, Bayonetta kneels down from her towering height to exchange quiet conversation with an unsettled Lucas.

"The press? Well, I'm out," Pittoo deadpans, wrapping a wing around a still-subdued Lucina. "Come on, Lucy. I owe you a dance before Palutena wrecks the dance floor."

Something twinges in my empathy link.

Worried, I glance in Lucas's direction. Curling his fists tightly by his side, Lucas clenches his jaw, now shaking so badly that his knees are knocking together.

I reach out for him. "Lucas-"

When my hand touches his shoulder, Lucas snaps his head up, wild-eyed like a feral animal. Shoving me aside, he storms out of the atrium.

Without second thought, I call after him, but ignoring me, Lucas breaks into a sprint. Past the elevators. Up the stairs. Shit, I knew that Lucas could run, but he's a fast little fucker. "Lucas, stop!" I scream after him, but up ahead, Lucas only speeds up, pressing his hands against his ears.

I'm going to lose him.

So when he skids into the second floor, I use every ounce of my burning thighs to lunge forward and tackle him as he turns into the library. Stumbling into a book case, Lucas struggles to wrestle me aside, but no matter how hard he fights back, I cling on tighter. His telekinesis is sucking everything in, and I can feel it, I can feel his rising anxiety, I can feel the sudden tug of his PSI towards his center of gravity. All of the bookcases begin to rattle like teeth. Loose papers slip off the tables, dropping onto the ground like dead flies. A few pencils sluggishly crawl towards us as if dragged over by an invisible hand. I hold my breath, transfixed by his involuntary show of telekinesis because our powers are highly dependent on the state of our mind.

And Lucas is far from okay.

In an angry fit of desperation, Lucas tries to push my head away. "Go away," he chokes out.

I wrap my arms around his back. "I love you."

Sinking into the floor from my weight, Lucas bares his teeth and makes a frustrated noise, his shoulders shaking from the force of holding back a sob. "Damn you, Ness, let go-"

"You're worth more than all the money in the world," I whisper.

Scrunching his eyes shut, Lucas buries his face into his hands and cries. I can feel his hurt radiate through our empathy link, and it's so raw and painful and  _helpless_  that my aching chest feels like it's about to rip into two.

Lucas isn't okay.

But maybe... maybe I can make him feel better.

Instinctively tapping into my magic, I reach for his shoulder, but when my fingers brush against his shirt, I hesitate. I don't take messing around with feelings lightly, and something tells me that Lucas won't appreciate me meddling with his emotions. For one, he's psychic. He'll know if I try to manipulate his emotions the same way I can tell he's reading my mind. And while there are times people can use some empathy, this isn't one of them. Sometimes you really need to cry it all out to think clearly.

Everyone is entitled to some privacy.

Lucas spasms. Another hiccup tears through his throat.

I lower my hand back to my side. The rush of power disappears from my fingers, tickling back into my chest, and the magical glow from my eyes fades away. "I'll give you some space. Come back up whenever you're ready," I say quietly.

His face still hidden in his hands, Lucas doesn't respond. Messy tears leak past the corners of his eyes and drip down his arms.

My heart as heavy as lead, I shut the library door behind me.

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~oO0Oo~

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There are two ways most boys my age deal with their emotional problems. You either (1) "man up" and ignore them until they explode in your face like a ticking time bomb, or (2) cut to the chase and explode first before your problems trigger themselves. I guess there was also (3) jack off, but these were all temporary solutions at best, and as much as I liked option 3, context applied. Sexually frustrated day? Whack it. Amnesiac best friend undergoing emotional trauma and borderline racist-homophobic hate? Seriously, don't be a dick.

Instead, I fiddle with Lucas's Christmas present on my bed, and aching for something to do, end up tracing over the smiley snowmen tap-dancing on the wrapping paper. Eventually, I leave both of our gifts on the couch. It doesn't seem right to open his gift, not without him there to open mine.

So I go to the bathroom to wash my hands.

Worst. Decision. Ever. My knuckles sting like a motherfucker when I shove them under running tap water, and I realize that the blood smeared on my hands is my own. I raise my right hand in dismay. There's an incision the size of a staple between my 1st and 2nd knuckles, which doesn't help because all the knuckles on my hand are sore and tender. I'll have to ask Lucas for a healing session when he gets back.

Then I think about Porky's swollen eye, and while violence doesn't justify violence, grim satisfaction lifts the weight off my stomach. Though by now, I'm sure that the press has gotten hold of my berserk fiasco, and Master Hand's out busting his ass to save my name. I can imagine the headlines on The Smash Daily tomorrow:  _Gay Teen Assaults Business Man_. Even better,  _Homophobic Tub of Lard Gets His Come-uppance in Ass-kickery._

No shit, Master Hand's gonna be pissed. I'd better come up with a damn good reason to explain myself when he calls me into his office.

Then someone knocks on the unlocked door.

For a second, my heart leaps into my throat because I think that Lucas is back, but when a blue parka slides into the suite instead, I can't help but feel downtrodden.

"Christmas gifts for you and Lucas," Popo says, shaking his hoodie off and pushing a whole pile of packages into my hands. "I had a hunch that you two wouldn't show for the afterparty. Rosalina wanted to deliver the Christmas sweaters herself, but I said I'd take them along."

The ugly Christmas sweaters have that cozy "just knitted right" texture when I rub it between my fingers, and when I spread them out, I realize that they're embroidered with stripes of red-and-blue hearts and a matching golden Earthbound insignia shimmering over each chest.

Glancing around as if searching for someone, Popo steals a chair next to me. "Lucas hasn't returned yet?"

I glance at the clock. Eleven PM. "Nope."

"Thought so."

"Thanks for covering him. You called Samus and Bayonetta over, didn't you? You saved his hide twice."

Popo flicks his pipe. "Three times. I don't think Lucas noticed, but I stole his glass for a sip during dinner. Definitely tasted roofies, but whatever Porky spiked his water with hammered my head hard. Any more, and it might have knocked me out."

"Drugs dampen our powers because they fuck with our mind."

"Then shit, Porky definitely wasn't playing around. I think that the food was safe, but Lucas didn't eat or drink anything." Catching my numb expression, Popo slugs me in the back. "Dude, I told you I got it taken care of. You can trust me." Shaking out a Ziploc bag of weed, Popo offers me his marijuana mouthpiece, and when I scrunch up my nose, he shrugs, stuffing the mouthpiece with mountain of weed and smoking it. "Just saying, Porky's a dangerous guy."

"Really? He seems like a wuss."

"Frankly, yeah. But he's a manipulative little wuss. I'm honestly scared for you."

This makes me pause. "That's rich, coming from you. Aren't you supposed to tell me to chillax and smoke weed?"

"I wish I could this time," Popo says darkly, taking another whiff of the drug. If you've never smelled weed before, then be grateful you haven't. With its weird bitter-sour stench, summarized politely, marijuana smells like Sweet Essence of Rotting Skunk. "You'd better be careful, Ness. Rumors say that Porky runs an underground business in child trafficking-"

"He  _what?"_

"Money leaves behind a dirty trail, and Porky's been a real busy body. CEO of a toy factory, loan shark, leader of a crazy cult. Where do you think he gets his drugs? He's clearly buddy-buddy with the boss of the Sharks."

"How do you hear about this stuff?!"

"Oh, from here and there." Popo says vaguely. "Why else do you think Master Hand keeps us under his thumb until we turn 18? It's his way of limiting our interaction with people like Porky in the celeb industry until we're old enough to make our own decisions. Or at the very least, prevent grooming. Because if you think about it, we're literally living amiibos. One stab in the right place, and next thing you know, someone could be selling you in a thrift shop."

"Sure, sell us in a thrift shop. WHILE WE'RE LIVING TRACKING DEVICES. What do you take criminals for, Team Rocket stupid?"

"God, Ness, you're so naive. Master Hand gives all this shit about "tracking devices" while you're petrified and whatnot, but if we go down in battle, then there's nothing we can do until someone arrives on scene. Anyone could petrify you, kidnap you, then UNpetrify you so we can't track you, genius."

"That sounds like an oddly convenient loophole for a story plot."

"Master Hand tries his best to protect us. Sadly, he can't save everyone." His phone buzzes with a notification, and Popo's lips quirk up. "Hey, check this out. Another booty call. Sweet."

"You should sleep around less. It's not healthy for you," I say quietly.

Popo laughs. "Dude, again? Fuck off. My sister's already on my case. So don't preach that shit to me, Ness, not when you can get by on a stable fanbase. You've just never experienced it before, but it's not half-bad. Sex is great. Especially when it pays well." Taking a last drag, Popo stretches his arms. "Ah fuck it, I'm off to get some snow. I'll do my best to keep an eye out for you, but for now? You'd better watch out for Lucas. He's already gone too deep into dangerous waters. Real deeeep." Popo giggles, shaking his head, then swings his legs off the chair. "Shit, I can't feel my head. This stuff's deep, man."

I snort and push him to the door. "Go outside, you're going to get me high on second-hand smoke."

"Nah, it's safe."

"Great, now my entire apartment smells like weed, you ass," I complain.

Popo winks. "Thanks, I do have a nice ass."

I slug him in the shoulder, and with a cackle, Popo stumbles off, waving a little off-center before staggering down to the atrium. I wonder how often he's high. All the time, probably. If Popo doesn't smoke weed, he eats it. I've seen him sneak an assortment of meth, acid, and ecstasy from Snake into his parka like a pro. A sad thought, but I wouldn't be surprised if Popo sobered up just for the Christmas dinner tonight. All to simply keep an eye out for us. He can be a surprisingly trustworthy person on the rare times he's actually sober.

So I swear to make a mental note to check on him next time, next time  _for sure,_  because I seriously can't afford to have another friend fuck up his life from a cocktail of drugs.

This then reminds me of my OTHER idiot friend who almost fucked up his own life from drugs, and I anxiously glance at the microwave clock. While Master Hand is less anal about the midnight curfew every Christmas because basically everyone is out partying in the Mansion, after tonight's little brawl, I'm most likely stuck PERMANENTLY on Master Hand's bad side. My heart sinks. Ideally, I want to give Lucas space, but I can't get him into trouble too. Best not to dig the hole any deeper. I'll be more than happy to give Lucas space back upstairs.

So I pass Captain Falcon's loud  _hahaha!_  and drunk chorus of Christmas cheer from Cloud's room, and pick my way to the library.

Moonlight streams across the dark carpet, casting a pool of light on a toppled set of bookcases. The velvet curtains flutter over their half-open windows, lonely and forgotten. When I step foot through the high-hanging arches and Roman pillars, it's like a sudden hush whispers into my ears. The library is deathly still and quiet, save for the tinny orchestral sound of a GBA. I can't describe why, but the limited sound quality is nostalgic, bringing a sharp pang to my chest.

Quietly, I trace my footsteps to its source.

Slumped underneath a low-hanging bookcase, Lucas doesn't say a word at my approach. The fluorescent glow of the Game Boy washes over his face and hands. As if tied to heavy weights, my feet slow of their own accord until I've reached a stand-still.

No words are needed.

Without breaking the silence, I watch him replay Porky's last save point over his shoulder. I watch as the background whites out from a disorienting blue, watch as the Masked Man confronts Lucas, watch as the Masked Man unmasks himself as Lucas's twin brother. I watch as the words drift in and out of focus, words that don't mean anything to me, but hold undeniable weight to the person slouching in front of me.

**Claus fired an intense bolt of lightning!**

A loud crackle bursts across the GBA speakers.

**Lucas's Franklin Badge... reflected the lightning!**

There was nothing Lucas could do but watch.

**Claus took mortal damage.**

A quiet click. The screen fizzles out. When Lucas speaks, his voice sounds incredibly bitter. "Porky was telling the truth. I killed my brother."

"It wasn't your fault-"

"I dealt the final blow, Ness. I-" Lucas suddenly cuts himself off, drawing up his knees and burying his face into his arms. "...I killed him."

"Your brother made a choice to end his own life. You never made that choice for him," I say softly, because while I'm no stranger to the pain of loss, my family is still intact. My family is alive. Though my dad's done some crummy things, I do love both my parents, I love my younger sibling, and hell, I even miss lazy ol' King from time to time. Shit, just thinking about losing my pet DOG makes me want to bawl.

But losing your brother? Right after losing your mom?

I can't imagine half of what Lucas is going through now.

"Porky gave you a game file from a save point. You don't remember anything that might've happened before the final boss."

"It doesn't matter. Replaying this game won't bring my brother back."

I quietly crouch down next to his hunched form. "I still think you should start the game from the beginning. You can't judge someone based on one scene, and you have no idea how your entire adventure unfolded-"

Lucas doesn't meet my eyes. "Ness. Would you ever willingly commit suicide."

"No," I say indignantly. "Why would I-"

"Would you sacrifice yourself if it meant saving the world?"

Fuck.

Doesn't help that Lucas would probably do the same in my shoes, but I don't have the heart to point that out. Best be honest I suppose.

"That depends. But only after I've tried everything else," I add anxiously, watching Lucas like he's about to explode. "Because honestly, dying would really suck-"

The only warning I get is a flash of his blue eyes before Lucas pulls me closer. I choke myself off, too stunned to react, but there's no mistaking the familiar arms snaking around my shoulders, and my eyes have widened to the size of saucers because Lucas is, well,  _hugging_  me. With another ragged intake of breath, Lucas shifts against me, and I can't help but recognize the stark contrast. Whenever I hug Lucas, I'm left with the bittersweet impression of how thin and scrawny he is. Or how his elbows and bony joints jut out and poke into my ribs. Or how Lucas's hand would awkwardly pat my back as if unsure of what it was supposed to do there.

But Lucas actually hugging me is different; I feel safe and protected in his fold, nestled against the crook of his shoulder with both of his arms and legs boxing me in and his breath warming the side of my neck.

When was the last time Lucas hugged me? He curls around me a little tighter, and I involuntarily find myself relaxing, sinking comfortably into his umbrella hold. Definitely not anytime after his growth spurt. The only time I can recall was when we'd reunited after defeating Tabuu, when the  _Hello, welcome to Brawl_ orientation had somehow turned into a clusterfuck of Subspace adventures. Shouting out my name, Lucas had dived over and wrapped his arms around my shoulders like a vice. He was so relieved to see me all right that he started shaking uncontrollably and crying on my shoulder, and it wasn't weird at all because I might have been bawling too.

Lucas's breathing remains unsteady, all uneven and erratic, so I uncertainly rest my fingers against his skinny shoulders. His face is pressed too close into my shoulder for me to make out his expression, but when Lucas starts to tremble like a leaf, the sudden dots of dampness seeping into my shirt speak more than enough about his feelings.

I swallow. Lucas always seems to know what to do when I'm upset... but I never know what to do when he is, because he tends to clam up and keep to himself. Lucas's worries are complicated and heavy. They aren't as easily as assuaged.

But I can be there for him.

And if Lucas wanted a hug... well, that was something I could give. Leaning into the arms curled around my shoulders, I scrunch up my eyes, trying to trigger a spark of happiness in my mind. Happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts. I gently prod Lucas's mind, and when Lucas involuntarily responds to my tendril of thought with a soft brush of his own, I let the strong pulse of warmth seep into our empathy link.

"Hey, buddy," I say softly, and Lucas shivers. The words somehow feel right on my tongue, so I reach up and ruffle his hair. "It's okay. I'm here."

The frown doesn't leave his face, but Lucas's shoulders relax a little. He mumbles something under his breath, then snuggles closer to my warmth.

My shoulders slump over with exhaustion. My heavy eyes start falling shut of their own accord.

Happy thoughts.

Think happy thoughts...

...

...

.

.

.

.

"Merry Christmas, you little piece of shit!" Someone crows in my ear, and I jolt awake flailing with a screech. Except that someone's wrapped me snugly in a blanket like a burrito, so I accidentally roll off the couch and faceplant onto the floor of the apartment instead. Goddammit, there goes my dignity.

Wait, the apartment?

"Oh fuck, who let you in," I complain, shaking myself upright to nurse my sore head, and Popo cackles like a lunatic. He's crazy, I tell you. Or high. The smell of weed is back, so he's definitely been out smoking with the guys again.

"I told you not to wake him up," Lucas deadpans in his matching ugly Christmas sweater, watching the exchange from the dinner table over a cup of tea, and I jolt again because I totally didn't know he was there. Lucas must've hauled my ass back upstairs. Again.

"Thought you wouldn't want to miss the day before it ended. So stop PMSing and wake up to smell the flowers, Nessie! Time to unwrap all your presents before midnight," Popo says cheerfully, giving me a noogie and messing up my hair much to my complaint. He expectantly turns his head over to Lucas. "Yeah so, that's an order, dude. I'd better see, like, both of you there."

"To where, you weirdo?" I spit out, because okay, maybe I'm not the nicest when someone YELLS in my ear like a foghorn just as I was getting comfy, but Popo's already gone, fluttering his fingers in what was supposed to be a seductive wave before skipping out of the apartment.

"His birthday party," Lucas helpfully supplies. Of course, Popo's birthday is coming up in early January. I bet we're eating out, because Popo's been itching for a drink and KBBQ ever since they've lowered the drinking age here to 18. Not that Popo HASN'T been drinking mind you, but between you and me, for legal purposes, Popo hasn't touched a single drop of booze. Okay? Awesome.

I rub my eyes. "How long was I out?"

"About fifteen minutes." Lucas surveys me in concern. "You shouldn't strain yourself."

Oh right, the magical therapy session.

"I'm okay," I say honestly, holding up my hands in defense. "Empathic healing doesn't hurt, just makes me feel drowsy afterwards. I do it for my mom all the time whenever she gets bad anxiety, because the effects are only temporary-"

"Don't burden yourself with the negative feelings of others. It's hard enough for you as it is," Lucas mutters, not meeting my eyes, and this puts a stupid smile on my face... Though he  _does_  catch sight of my grin and rolls his eyes.

"You didn't have to punch Porky," he says flatly, shaking his head at my busted knuckles. "Now look at what you've done. You fucked up your hands."

But when Lucas heals my fists, holding them gingerly in his, I can't help but notice how much lighter his eyes look. Like someone's taken a heavy load off his shoulders.

I hesitantly squeeze his hands, and when Lucas tenses up, I know that he can sense my reassurance through our empathy link. "You're never a bother," I whisper, and it's a testament to our trust that he doesn't pull away from my touch. He knows that I won't read his emotions. Not like this. Not unless he wants me to.

Lucas swallows, and his Adam's apple dips in his throat. "Stop caring so much. You'll only get yourself hurt."

My smile widens. "If you really do feel sorry for me, then kiss kiss!" I say, cheerfully opening my arms, and Lucas awkwardly squirms in my hold when I settle for hugging him instead.

Lucas wrinkles his nose. "You're choking me to death, you sap," he snarks back, but I  _snrrk_  at his expression. I don't take offense, not in the slightest, because I know that Lucas hides his feelings behind a veil of sarcasm. I guess that's his way of saying  _I love you too, dumbass_ , because if he  _really_  wasn't okay with it, then he wouldn't have let me hug him. He's just as capable of letting me know, and I know better than to overstep his comfort zone.

He's still not a fan of hugs though, so I let go, distracting him with an excited exclamation of  _hell yeah, Christmas presents!_  because Lucas will need time to get over his loss, and he'll better cope with me sticking to routine. It's literally an equation. If I stay constant, then Lucas will have fewer variables to worry about. The fewer the variables, the easier Lucas can prioritize his problems. His father's denial. Porky's debt. Other complicated stuff that Lucas thinks about.

Match his pace. Match his stride.

Like I said, we'll figure everything out along the way as we make shit up, because I still don't know how to fucking relationship, and I don't think Lucas knows how to either. I'm just a hot-headed, hasty, happy-go-lucky derp while he's a cold, careful, callous derp.

But we'll make it work somehow.

I know we can.

...

...

...what?

We're at the end of this chapter, what more do you want from me?

Ugh, all right.

Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal. And a Happy New Year.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Your parents say that Fanfiction isn't educational? *Puts on nerd glasses* Challenge accepted.
> 
> I like to think that Porky slipped in a date rape drug into Lucas's drink, more specifically, Klonopin (clonazepam). Like other date rape drugs, Klonopin is a common over-the-counter medication used to treat seizures/anxiety, and is generally INSOLUBLE in water because of its chemical structure. However, it dissolves better in acidic solutions (i.e. lemon water, for example), and dissolves more readily in water than other drugs of the same family. It's argued to have a minty aftertaste.
> 
> Snow is another nickname for cocaine/coke/crack. As Popo is an ICE climber (haha), I thought it'd be a nice touch to add to his character. Also, I've taken additional creative liberties, and like to imagine that Nana and Popo are members of a fictional MATRIARCHAL Native American tribe similar to the Inuits, and that their tribe is currently living in a reservation. Meth addiction, alcohol/drug abuse, and human trafficking are major problems in Native American reservations across the U.S., and combined with the fame of celebrity life, I'd like to think that Popo got into drugs at a very young age.
> 
> Bonus Chemistry Fact! Chloroform is a slow-acting reagent. This means that you literally have to hold a chloroform rag to someone's face for at least TEN WHOLE MINUTES before its effects kick in. Ha, take that, movie logic!
> 
> now you can go brag to your friends that chloroform is a lie
> 
> but erm yeah
> 
> dont do drugs kids
> 
> also the last line sounds like a grammar typo, but i swear it's a reference to a movie quote. ha. Haha. *sweats nervously*
> 
> and Lucas's Mother 3 cartridge was written in English this chapter... but we'll soon figure out why :)


	24. Dishonor on Your Whole Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas puzzles over how to satisfy Ness's needs.

"Stay over at my place for New Years."

The noise of a thousand voices fills up the Smash City SkyTrain Station, but I blink, caught off-guard by Ness's sudden request. His hands tighten on my own, as if afraid that I'll ignore his request and leave. Unable to meet his eyes, I avert my attention to the broken-down tram tunnel on my right. Permanently stuck in construction, the broken-down tunnel looks the same as always, crooked wooden beams nailed clumsily over its entrance, rubble and pebbles cluttered around the  _Keep Out_  sign resting at its base.

Over the years of living in Smash City, I have never once seen anyone use this rail. No SkyTrain has ever passed through this tunnel. The broken-down tunnel has never been fixed.

No one knows where it leads.

"My mom wants you over at the condo," Ness adds breathlessly, glancing up at my face. "Use the time to make a new game plan. Porky's probably going to leave us alone for a while since you paid off the one grand-"

"-only because Venus gave us free tickets for the New Years concert."

"My mom already made plans to watch the fireworks here, so we couldn't have made Venus's concert. Besides, Venus was a real bae for letting us sell her front-seat tickets. I mean, who knew they'd sell for $500 a piece?"

Glancing around at the crowd, I quietly lower my voice. "Ness, I'll have to see my dad at some point this break."

"I know, but have you figured out what to tell him?" Ness stubbornly presses, and slowly, reluctantly, I close my mouth. "I thought so. There's no point for you go now. You never told him when  _exactly_  you were returning home, did you? And Porky... He's got a lot of dirt on his name. If we act smart, there's a really good chance we can get him arrested for shady shit. See, even Master Hand's on our side, though he's pissed that I punched Porky in the face. That's got to count for something, right?" Ness squeezes my hand so tightly that it cuts off my circulation. "My mom's expecting you. Don't you dare do something stupid."

I swallow down his words, because it seems wrong to leave my dad slaving away at home alone at the expense of me having fun a dimension away. Moreover, I know that he's going to be busy preparing traditional funeral rites for my mom.

A lump forms in my throat. My mom's death on New Years Eve... that's the day after tomorrow. I want to pay my respects at the Buddhist temple, light the scented candles and bring fresh flowers to her smiling portrait, but this is something else I don't want to bring up, because I can't get Ness involved with more of my tragedy in his life. Not after he's spent Christmas consoling me over the loss of my brother.

"Ness, you can't expect to get rid of all my problems-" I try instead.

"I don't," Ness says bluntly. "I know that you can take of yourself, but it's easier for you to think if there's a lot less on your plate. Refund your tickets. Take a break."

I waver. After everything we've been through, I guess I do owe him this happiness, as tiny as it is.

So when Tracy loudly complains about how  _big brother is such a slow snail, hurry up, doofus, mom's outside with the car,_  I let Ness drag me out of the SkyTrain Station.

Behind us, the forgotten tunnel whispers with a cold draft of wind.

* * *

.

.

.

~ _ **Chapter Twenty-Four**_ ~

**_Dishonor on Your Whole Family_ **

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.

.

* * *

The rented condo is a classic 2-Bedroom, 2-Bathroom. Polished wooden floor space separates the two sides with a nice view of the city in the living room, which opens up to a mosaic marble kitchen.

"Make yourself at home," Ness's mom cries, struggling with her many grocery bags, and I hurry over to help her. "We tried to choose an okay place with a discount -  _oh, thank you, Lucas, can you set the orange juice on the counter?_  - and I'm glad that we managed to nab this condo. It's got a beautiful view."

"Mom, why the hell did you buy so much fried rice-"

"Language, Nessie," His mom snaps, and Ness groans, staggering under the weight of Chinese take-out. "The Asian cuisine in this area is second to none... and you want to eat more  _burgers?_  Ai, no wonder you are fat."

"Mom," Ness whines.

"Don't you  _mom_  me. Now help Lucas set the table. Ai, ai, ai, making your boyfriend do all the work! Dishonor on your family name. Now hurry if you want to eat dinner, everyone's hungry-" Turning around, Ness's mom hollers for Tracy to get off the couch and  _stop lazing around on her phone_ , and a grumpy Ness trudges over to my side.

"I didn't know your mom liked Chinese food," I note.

"My mom's been into Southeast Asian culture ever since she took a trip with my Aunt to Taiwan," Ness mutters darkly, opening up the styrofoam to-go boxes. A mouthwatering scent of hot-sour-sweet spices warms up the air. "Singapore, Vietnam, China... you name it, she's been there. I swear, she's turned tiger-mom ever since she left South Korea."

"Does she know that I'm half-Japanese?"

"Thank god, NO," Ness says, horrified. "Heaven forbid she finds out."

I try to keep my best stern straight-faced expression. "Dishonor on you."

"Dishonor on your whole family."

"Dishonor on your cow," I finish the quote, and Ness bursts out laughing. Unfortunately, this also attracts attention from Ness's mom, who after berating Ness for being boisterous, starts pelting me with questions about Japanese lifestyle and history.

"I'm sorry, I don't know," I fluster after yet another question about the  _Samurai honor code._  "My parents are Buddhist though, and I think a good fraction of the Japanese still are."

"That's wonderful," Ness's mom gushes eagerly. "The mountains there were amazing to hike. Many of the cities were surrounded by a backdrop of natural flora. Do you know the name of your mother's hometown?"

"I-I'm not sure." A name suddenly clicks into place. "Tazmily Village. I think."

"It sounds beautiful. Makes me miss Japan already. I wonder where your village-"

"Mom," Ness hisses under his breath, and snapping out of it, his mom flushes in realization.

"Oh no, how insensitive of me-"

"It's all right, I wish I remembered more about my mom's heritage so I could tell you," I say softly, because it's true, I really wish I did, and I knew that Ness's mom had only meant good-will. Still flustering from embarrassment, Ness's mom clumsily pats me in the back and turns around.

"Shall we get to dinner?" Ness's mom says hastily, her cheeks dotted pink, and gratefully taking her suggestion, we jump into the four empty seats around the dining table.

Speaking to Ness's mom has only brought up more questions about my upbringing. When did my dad leave Tazmily Village for Onett? I must have been too young to have remembered the trip. It had only just happened after Claus running away from home, after all.

Then I think of the  _Mother 3_  cartridge stuffed underneath my pillow miles away in my dorm, and the thought of that cartridge weighs heavier on my mind. It's the only relic I have of my home, it's the only relic that can explain the strange gaps in my memory, but do I really want to remember? What if the memories are bad? Worse, what if the memories are precious? What if I can't let go of the past, and end up neglecting the present?

There's no point in restarting my adventure from chapter one. I've already been spoiled by the end of the game. Maybe it's best not to re-open old wounds, lest they fester into fresh scars. There's nothing  _wrong_  about wanting to forget about my past... was there?

I lost my mother.

And I couldn't save my brother in the end.

But sitting in a table for four, with Ness's mom bickering and fussing over her two children, my chest tightens because it's almost like I'm a part of a normal family again. I'm still an impostor by blood, but I've never felt more at home. So I let myself pretend. Dad would take the chair close to the door because of his workaholic tendencies. My mom would settle down next to him, easing him to relax and leave shearing the sheep for another day, because  _Flint, you've been out all day, slow down and spend some time with your sons,_  and Claus would sit on my left by my dad's other side because Claus would want a head-start to the Dragos in case I'd try to out-race him, though he'd never admit it.

...I miss my family.

"Mom, you dumped over half the entire carton," Ness says indignantly, and I watch, amused, as his mom continues piling more food onto his plate. "I can't believe it, you just said I was fat like two seconds ago-"

"Eat up, eat up. You need the energy," Ness's mom says impatiently, now drowning Ness's plate in Kung Pao chicken and Ma Po tofu. Amidst Ness's wails of complaint ( _Mom, I mean it, I can't eat all of this!)_  she glances at my still-empty plate and scowls. "Lucas, you are as skinny as a rake," she says, reaching over to grab my plate. "Ness told me that you like sweet food. You're not vegan, are you? Would you like some Peking Roasted Duck?"

"Oh, sure," I say startled, and she dumps another glistening ladle of sweet-and-sour pork on a bed of fried rice.

I think I can finally relate to Ness's complaints. His mother is an adversary on a whole another tier.

Still, I'm grateful that she's done so much to make this trip enjoyable, so I do my best to chow through the mountain of delicious food on my plate. I try to chew slowly, listening to the conversation overhead and taking in one mouthful at a time, but the minutes pass by and I've barely made a dent. It's an impossible feat. There's just too much food on this plate for the average human to consume.

Ness, on the other hand, is an eating machine. Despite all his previous complaints, he's cleared his plate and is already reaching for seconds. He bites into the end of a crunchy spring roll, and I snort when I notice a grain of rice stuck on the tip of his nose.

Hearing my snort, Ness scrunches his face into a defensive frown. "What are you laughing at?"

"You have rice on your face," I smirk, reaching over to pick it off. When Ness looks up in surprise, I smear it across his forehead with my thumb. "Haha, ew gross."

Ness smacks my hand away, then furiously rubs the rice off with a napkin. "Oh, like you're the Duke of Table Manners," he retorts, and I follow his pointed look to the messy trail of rice grains scattered around my own plate.

I open my mouth to respond, but stop when I catch a wide-eyed Ness's mom and sister watching us like we're performing a rom-com.

"You two are so sweet that I'm losing my teeth. Seriously, go kiss and make out already," Tracy snarks, poking at her Peking duck, and Ness chokes on his food.

"I-It's not what it looks like," Ness manages to stammer, waving his hands so violently that he almost spears my cheek with his chopsticks. "Lucas is just making fun of me-"

"I'm glad that our son met someone so caring," Ness's mom says earnestly and when she turns to me, her eyes shining with adoration, I give her a sheepish smile in return.

Releasing a long-suffering groan, Ness bangs his head against the dining table. Straightening my back and trying to look the  _caring_  part, I smirk wider in delight at Ness's expense.

"UGH. Lucas, caring? Mom, why can't you see he's such a smartass-"

"Language, Nessie. Don't swear in front of your boyfriend-"

"Lucas swears too!"

"Lucas is a polite boy. He never swears."

"Damn it, Lucas! Wipe that stupid smirk off your face, or I'll wipe it off for you-"

"Ness, language!"

"Oh my god, now they're FLIRTING. I think I'm going to barf-"

"MOM, LUCAS IS STILL SMIRKING AT ME. TELL HIM TO STOP."

"Smirking? Who, me? Why I'd never."

"Ai, young love."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

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.

.

A loud crow of glee tears through my brand new wireless headphones. Even without glancing up from my laptop, I can tell that Ness is hopping around like an energetic jellybean. It's the second time this evening that he's stood in front of the bathroom mirror to admire his running shoes.

Streaked light gray across a black net, the pair of Gel Nimbus-18 Asics aren't really anything spectacular, but from how Ness is acting like a dog thrown its favorite chewtoy, I'm glad that he likes them. Especially since I ruined his Christmas. I'd even tried my hand at stitching, weaving in a flaming baseball design behind each Asics heel in an agonizing pace and pricking my fingers with the needle too many times to count, but if Ness's excited exclamation is anything to go by, I think I'm satisfied with the outcome.

The smol bean bounces over. "Whatchu reading?" smol bean says, nudging his face under my arms to peer at my laptop screen. "Fifty Shades of Gray?"

"I think I have better things to do with my life than trying to understand rape-fantasy kinks of middle-aged women," I say wryly, untangling his hair from my headphones, because somehow, Ness has managed to snag some strands against it - proven by his pointed wail of pain.

To lighten our baggage, we left the rest of our presents unwrapped at the Mansion, but I couldn't have been happier with Ness's gift. The blue Beats Headphones easily beat the old wreck I lost to the Sharks a while back. The mufflers even act like a decent noise-canceler, keeping my ears nice and warm.

So when Ness rests his head into my lap, I make my appreciation known, absentmindedly running my fingers through his hair, and Ness closes his eyes with a satisfied sigh. There's something cathartic about his constant attention-seeking. He's like a dog. A loud, friendly, fluffy dog.

Like a Pomeranian.

I snort, and catching my thought, Ness puffs up his cheeks. "You're barking up the wrong tree. I'm not a Pomeranian," he says indignantly.

"Course not, you'd be doggone insane," I reassure him without blinking an eye, and Ness drifts back into pleased content when I continue playing with his hair.

That's the other thing. Ness has been able to hear more of my stray thoughts lately, the same way I could sense more of his mood shifts. It's a small step forward at best, just a tip of the iceberg, but the change is reassuring, because I feel comfortable around Ness the same way he can count on me being there for him, and I realize how much I already  _do_  trust him. I'm still afraid, afraid of messing up, afraid of neglecting him for other priorities, afraid of screwing up our relationship for good, but I refuse to let my fears dictate me. I refuse to let my fears of trusting people get in the way, I refuse to be afraid of something that has yet to happen, I refuse to let Ness walk out of my life the same way I let my brother go all those years ago.

I refuse to make the same mistake twice.

So when Ness reaches up to ruffle my hair, a mischievous gleam in his eyes, I deliberately blow a puff of air into his face.

"Stop that, you jerk," Ness whines, scrunching up his nose in distaste, and I smirk. Though Ness wipes the smirk off my face when he loops his arms around my neck, because even with our uncomfortably cramped position, I can sense the undercurrent of his emotions, and that brings up another problem neither of us have touched upon.

The doorbell rings.

Ness kisses me on the forehead. "That's for being a little shit at the dinner table," he says lightly, kicking himself onto his feet to answer the door.

Though Ness hasn't tried anything new, it's in his eyes. It's written all over his face. It's practically in his words, every time he hugs me, every time he says  _I love you_  and a thousand other sappy things that I can't possibly dream of saying, because mere repetition of those words would decrease their value. He's trying to be considerate in the face of my current worries, but I know that we'll eventually have to address it soon.

Ness isn't completely satisfied.

Listening to Ness bicker with his sister yet again, I reopen my laptop and stare blankly at its screen. I wonder what it'd feel like, to not think about anything for once. To lose all of my worries for a night. To get a little frisky and lose myself in the moment.

But I'm not a one night stand. I'm just not that kind of person.

I've never had a particularly high libido, and the thought of someone else touching my junk scares the shit out of me. If I need to take care of myself, then I'll take care of it myself. I would probably be the male equivalent of a crazy cat lady - only except with dogs - because sex can go screw itself.

Yet, as Ness slowly sneaks his way into my comfort zone, I've begun to notice his not-so subtle changes from  _best friend_  to  _craving_ _something closer_. He presses his head against my shoulder. He crawls under my arms and curls up into my lap. He hugs me hello and kisses me goodbye, he plays footsie and rests the tip of his toes against mine underneath the table while we're eating, he sneaks into my bed covers and nuzzles the back of my neck whenever he worries about me getting cold.

Ness is EXTREMELY touchy-feely.

And unfortunately, I'm not.

So I try to return the favor by letting him hug me, letting him kiss me, and while Ness doesn't go beyond that, I'm starting to wonder if Ness wants something more. It's not like him to hold back his feelings, and - laughing quietly under my breath at the memory of our disastrous start - Ness no doubt wants something out of this relationship.

But what exactly? I'm not sure. The uncertainty is making me all nervous, because by now, Ness has got to have realized that he's gotten the shorter end of the stick. I can't make the first move. I have no right to ask him to stay. All I see in the future of our relationship is hardship after hardship, and Ness has got nothing to lose if he wants to break things off. I'm still waiting for the day Ness will say that he's had enough, that he can't put up with any more of my depressing bs in his life, that he's ready to break up and move on, and I wouldn't fault him for wanting to leave me.

And yet, he hasn't.

It's a real fucking mystery.

Maybe it'd make more sense if I were some drop-dead gorgeous blonde like Venus, but glancing at my weird bony wrists, I snort. Well at least I know that he's not staying for my looks.

Weirder still, our relationship has changed very little. We still act like shitheads to each other 99% of the time, the same way all best friends act to each other.

But the little changes are easily noticeable.

When I shook off Ness's hand in the SkyTrain Station earlier, wary of any reporters who might fan more fuel to my dad's fire, Ness had starting sulking, puffing up his cheeks in a childish pout. One year or two ago, Ness wouldn't have cared if I was holding his hand, if I WASN'T holding his hand, if I was holding someone else's hand, or simply not holding anyone's hand at all.

But for some reason, Ness's pout reminds me of a kicked puppy. It makes me feel incredibly bad. Like I've done something wrong. Or like I've popped all the air out of his FUN balloon. Which makes no sense, because this is the way I've always acted around him, and Ness should know that I'm the last person to reform and turn into a fucking Care Bear overnight. In retrospect, I should really give up and call it quits, because Ness should know that I can't make him happy.

Yet, I'm lying down on the cold hard floor, surfing the web in the hopes of answering all of my increasingly mindless questions.

**_how to be yourself without being awkward_ **

**_how to talk to someone without being awkward_ **

**_how to hug someone without being awkward_ **

**_how to show affection to someone without being awkward_ **

**_how to tell my macho dad I'm gay_ **

**_whats dating_ **

**_HELPP AM I GAY_ **

Yeesh, my Google search history is terrifying. I bury my head into my hands and resist the urge to ask myself when I turned into such a pitiful sap. Things used to be so much easier when I wasn't such an emotional wreck. I could actually trust my head. I could actually think straight for more than two seconds. Now it feels like there's a hidden minefield of butterflies under my foot no matter where I step.

Love waits for no man. Love is scary, love is unforgiving, and beyond all, love doesn't give a damn about what I think.

But love can wait, because I can't multitask. Whatever will happen will happen, I have a hundred other deadlines to prioritize, and this particular problem can wait on the back-burner for as long as I care, because if there's one thing love doesn't do, it's erase all of my goddamn life problems.

It's simple and straight-forward. If Ness makes the first move, then he makes the first move. Once he makes his move, I'll follow up. And if Ness  _doesn't_  feel like making a move, then I'll stay put until he tells me otherwise. Case closed. There's no point in worrying over something that may or may not potentially happen, and I'll have plenty of time to worry over Ness's first world sexytime problems AFTER I take care of my own shit.  _Now get a grip,_  I grimly tell myself, and upon hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, shut my laptop.

Ness staggers into the bedroom with his loudly complaining sister on his back.

"Do it again! I bet you can't do it this time~!"

"I've already done it, like, a hundred times. Now knock it off," Ness grouches, trying to pry his sister off.

Pouting, Tracy tugs on his arm. "Please, big brother? Just once?" she says sweetly, tilting her head and flashing him her best puppy-dog face.

Giving me an apologetic glance, Ness gives in with a sigh and closes his eyes. Like a soda can about to burst from pressure, I feel Ness's magic slowly building up in his body before it finally pops. Hot sparks hop across across his chest before dancing across his fingers in a fluorescent lightshow. Then the sparks sink into his skin, leaving a faint firefly glow in Ness's hands.

Ness reopens his eyes. "Ready?" he says softly, and Tracy nods furiously in response.

His eyes glowing deep violet, Ness gently presses two fingers against his sister's temple.

A pause.

"You're frustrated."

"Damn it," Tracy wails, her twin pigtails flipping around at the speed of her exit. "Just you wait, big brother! I'll be way cooler than you one day!"

At her departure, Ness's eyes lose their glow. "She wanted me to read her emotions," he mutters, glancing at the agape bedroom door in disapproval. "She's getting better at hiding them from me, but I swear to god, if she asks me to do it for the  _tenth_  time tonight, I'm disowning her." When Ness reaches for my hand, he breaks into a grin at my wary expression. "Don't worry, I won't read your emotions. See? No glowy eyes."

"Who was at the door?"

"Twas only a lost stranger," Ness sings, flinging open his suitcase in random abandon. "Time to brush teef! Time to brush teef, teef, teef. I'm going in to shower afterwards. Mom and Tracy are going to use the other bathroom, so you don't have to worry about them barging in. Do you need toothpaste, Lucas?"

The sun goes down fast. Showering, flossing, bidding Ness's mom and sister goodnight. Before I know it, Ness closes the bedroom door shut behind us, only to stew over the immediate problem his mother has neglected to mention.

There's only one bed.

"We can probably fit," I say awkwardly, but Ness beats me to it, flicking off the lights and flopping down onto the floor in what is supposed to be a noble act of chivalry.

I furrow my brows at his stupidity. "Ness, what are you doing."

"Take the bed. This floor is comfy."

"You'll die. It's negative ten degrees Celsius with the wind chill."

"That's just your imagination."

"If you catch a cold, I'm not nursing you back to health," I deadpan.

A pause, and a rustle of jammies as Ness climbs into bed. "Scoot over, I'm freezing," Ness whispers, tugging the covers over his shoulders and snuggling closer before flinching. "Shit, why are your hands so cold? Do you ever take your meds?"

You've lived with me for over three years, Ness. Don't ask me questions you already know the answers to.

Still when he warms my hands up in his, I can't help but hum in satisfaction.

"You should really eat your iron pills," Ness whispers, burying his head into my chest.

"They taste like shit," I say flatly.

I don't need Ness's empathy link to sense his grimace. He's gotten a whiff of my pills the one time I let him satisfy his curiosity. Remembering him gagging and coughing on all fours, I think it's safe to say that Ness sorely regrets it. "Fair enough, but it's not healthy for you to skip them whenever you want."

I'm not frail, Ness. I'm plenty healthy without my meds. I close my eyes, trying to remember the pattern of his breathing.

"Lucas?" Ness whispers.

"Hmm."

"Why do you think your dad would have a problem with... you know. Me liking you."

I laugh quietly under my breath. "Because I'm the family disappointment."

"You?"

"My dad lectures me enough. I'm nothing like my brother." A bitter pause. "I'm nothing like Claus."

"So? What's wrong with being different?"

So? Even after fighting for my place on the roster, I remember the tireless conversations I've held with my father over the apparent question of my masculinity. At 60kg on a scale soaking wet, skinny jeans are my friend. Shirts tent in around my midsection. I can't fill up sleeves properly. Worse, I have to be careful not to choose clothes that fit me  _just right_  and wear a size up because I might look too effeminate. I'm lean and lanky, but mostly skin and bones. I've already resigned myself to the fact that I'll never get Zac Efron's Baywatch body, but it still stings to know I look too damn weak and skinny to fit in with society's beauty standards.

I already know that I look like shit. I don't need my dad's constant reminder to know that I just don't look muscular enough, that I act too much like Courage the Cowardly Dog to be of any use, that true men are fearless in the face of danger.

" _A man must be stoic_ ," I say in the grave imitation of my father. " _You're too sensitive for a man. No woman likes a crier_."

"That's total B.S."

_"You take after your mother. She liked singing. Reading. Drawing. But those are no hobbies for a man."_

"NO."

_"Look at your brother. Watch how he tackles his problems headfirst. Follow in his footsteps. Don't let me catch you indoors again."_

"If he has trouble thinking that you're any less of a man because you don't have the personality of an egotistical six-pack, then he's wrong," Ness declares stubbornly. "And there's nothing shameful about crying. It doesn't make you any more of a coward."

Then I think about Ness, and how easily he cries. And Ness is certainly no coward.

"You're different though. You're not so easily scared," I say plaintively, and Ness tightens his grip on my hands.

"Lucas, can I tell you a secret?" Ness shifts uncomfortably against me. "I get scared a lot too."

"Not as much I as I do-"

"Only because I throw myself into action before I can second-guess myself. If I didn't push myself to take that first step, I don't think I'd trust myself to ever take it. I'd freeze up from fear. But you're smart. You actually think things through before you act. Sometimes, you worry too much... but it's okay, because I worry too little." Ness scrunches his eyes shut. "Lucas, you're right. I don't know shit about your dad. But if you ask me, it sounds like he cares about you, and doesn't know how to express it."

"You think so?"

"Yeah."

"...I think so too."

"..."

"..."

Ness squeezes my hands again. "I love you just the way you are," he whispers.

A warm feeling wells up in my throat. Closing my eyes, I rest my chin on top of his head with a pleased hum.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the shitpost!fic where Lucas suffers from low self-esteem and Ness is confused and horny! 
> 
> Ness's mom's inflections (i.e. the "Ai" and the "Aiyahh") are based off of a close friend's, who is an international student from Taiwan. I like to think that Ness's mom picked up the quirk from somewhere in either China or Taiwan during her vacation travels in Southeast Asia.
> 
> The next few chapters will have many ups and downs, but for those of you who have followed me through to this point, I hope that you'll enjoy a breakthrough in chapter 25. Emotionally-charged moments are the best. Especially when they involve hormones. 
> 
> Don't expect nsfw, it's still T for Tyrannosaurus Rex ya weirdos. >:D


	25. I Fall Off Rainbow Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two dorks explore each other's feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT NOTE:
> 
> In this chapter, Tony's emojis in Fanfiction.Net refuse to show up here in A03... oH NOE  
> Also the texts are all supposed to be italicized, but A03 is being stupid >_>

_**Nuss 11:00PM  
** ok i need ur help_

**FuckThePopo** ❤  **11:07PM**  
Ayyy bby  
_u wan sum fuk ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_

 _**Nuss 11:07PM** _  
_WOAH_  
_NO_

 **FuckThePopo** ❤  **11:08PM**  
SHIT wrong number  
_oky bae i gotchu_  
_whatchu need_

_**_Nuss 11:09PM_  
** i wanna ask lucas out on a date_

**FuckThePopo** ❤  **11:09PM**  
awesum  
_did u tell him_

 _**Nuss 11:10PM** _  
_i did_  
_but i didnt tell him it was a date_  
_were goin 2 the movies 2morrow_

 **FuckThePopo** ❤  **11:12PM**  
lemme guess  
_they ran out of movie tickets_  
_np i got connections_

 **Nuss 11:13PM**  
thank god no  
_we have tickets_  
_but i wan him to tri n make the 1st move_  
_wat r some ways i can ease him into it w/o looking desperate_  
_like_  
_leaning into his sholder?_  
_iM freakin out help me_

 _ **FuckThePopo** ❤  **11:15PM**_  
_srsly ness_  
_fuck dat subtle shit_  
_assert yo dominance_  
_grab him by the face and french him_

 **Nuss 11:15PM**  
NO  
_THATS WAY TOO FFAST_

 **FuckThePopo** ❤  **11:16PM** **  
** then tell him to slow down ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 **Nuss 11:17PM**  
...why did i text u  
_im gonna go text paula bye_

 **FuckThePopo** ❤  **11:18PM**  
dude  
_open yo suitcase_

 **Nuss 11:20PM**  
wHAT  
_now im scared_  
_what  did u put in my suitcase_

_**Nuss 11:43PM  
** Popo?_

* * *

.

.

.

~ _ **Chapter Twenty-Five**_ ~

_**I Fall Off Rainbow Road** _

.

.

.

* * *

Every year on Christmas and on my goddamn birthday, Popo makes it his mission to give me prank gifts. Their every premise is just as stupid and ridiculous as the last.

And every single time, they've proven to be infuriatingly USEFUL.

On my 15th birthday, he bought me tissues and coconut oil. And last Christmas, he bought me a pack of toilet paper, because somehow, he'd known that we'd run out later that night.

So this year, on the year of my gay, I expected something explicit and embarrassing. Like a vibrator. But Popo couldn't have bought me one, because Red had already beaten him to the punch.

The day before we left for the condo, Red surprised me by showing up at our door with his perpetually deadpan stare. I thought he was looking for Lucas, except that Lucas had been out on a meeting with Master Hand, and Red should've seen him pass by. The matches were over until next summer. There was no reason for Red to visit me, much less talk to me, so I figured  _hey maybe he wanted to chill._

That is, until Red handed me a hot pink dildo wrapped in a flamboyant red ribbon. All for a subtle  _go_ _fuck yourself_.

Then I guess I passed under Popo's radar this Christmas.

Wrong.

Strewn in the wreckage of wrapping paper, I continue to stare agape at the contents of Popo's Christmas gift. I don't know which was more surprising, the fact that Popo had bought me a box of books, or the fact that he expected me to read. But now, glancing at the revolting mix of covers, I'm not sure if I want to  _touch_  them.

When the hell did Popo sneak these into my bag?

I eye the pile of shounen-ai mangas as if they're about to bite my hand off. Showing off their flashy colorful covers, one or two of them are about animes that I've never seen before, but the rest I quickly recognized as Nesscas doujins.

There's a reason this stuff has a big rep for shits and giggles in the Mansion. One, we're Smashers. And two, it's pretty much accepted that all smashers are privy to a plethora of fanart and fanfic. Which can be both kinda flattering... and kinda awkward. Because RULE 34: If it exists, then there is porn of it. And with the number of One Direction self-insert fanfics on Wattpad these days, I wouldn't be surprised if people already started shipping other celebrities together.

Yeah, I'm talking about you, Fanfiction Readers. We all know that shipping exists. We usually don't mention it. Even Nesscas. Or Lucess. LucNess. Less. Whatever people call our pairing these days.

It's not worth arguing over.

So basically, I turn a blind eye to it.

Again, no hate. If you're a shipper, then great. If you like writing/drawing/what-have-you about our fandom, then great. You do you. I'm just gonna stop by to grab my cheap pornos and carry on with my business in the other corner. I only have one request. Please, whatever you do, take all the rabid fans and paparazzi with you. My little sister gets enough harassment from my stalkers without me trying to hunt more down. Why people get so worked up over fictional pairings, I don't know, but hey when did I ever understand the hate that was mainstream tumblr.

As Lucas nicely puts it: People are dicks, and social media is stupid.

This is why we can't have nice things.

Cutting to a quick disclaimer: I don't know much about yaoi. Or manga. Or doujinshi. With a fangirl sister, all I know is that yaoi is some fetishized gay porn people jerked off to, and that shounen-ai is just its watered-down version. This trashy shit is the same stuff MY LITTLE SISTER likes to read.

So it stands that my natural reaction to yaoi is  _plz no._  Like hell I'm ever reading about my sister's wet dream fantasies!

Having said this solid conviction, I gingerly push aside the cancerous pile with my toe.

Not five minutes later, I'm pouring through the fluffy shounen-ai mangas like it's my life, because fuck, they're addicting _._ I'm a sucker for stellar graphics. I've had high expectations ever since I splurged on that latest issue of Marvel the day I turned 13, and let's face it, I like to keep it that way.

But fuck does Popo not disappoint. He's actually got good taste, because all the art styles in this collection are fly. What's more, all of Popo's stories make sense. Even the weird R-rated ones. So long as I skip over some of the uh, extremely detailed sex, those were okay too, I guess. They're certainly a damn good source of guilty pleasure for teenage girls. Half-naked boys sprawled over each page? No wonder my sister goes crazy over this.

Japan is really milking out the fanservice these days.

It was only then I had the courage to pick up and open a Nesscas doujinshi that looked relatively harmless.

Shit, it's good. Mouthwatering good. The art was good, the plot was good, and the character buildup was so sweet that halfway through I swore I caught diabetes. By the end, I was left staring at the back of the manga, wondering why this wasn't my life.

It's really good.

I squeeze my eyes shut. Okay, I'll admit that the doujinshis have so far exceeded my expectations, but I'm still not sure why Popo bought them for me. Is this his way of saying,  _grow a pair and go for it bro?_  Or  _geez Nessie_ _you need to work on your moves?_

I don't know.

So I read on.

But the more doujinshis I skimmed, the emptier I began to feel. If there's one thing that many of the doujins failed to capture, it's keeping us in character.

Not to say that Popo hadn't done his work. He's definitely weeded out the trashier ones, but even with his SAFE SEARCH filter, I was left with a mixed assortment. Most of the Nesscas doujinshis were decent. Kinda cliche and corny, but tolerable. At least, until the plot took a sudden nosedive and turned me into an uber bad boy or pervy rapist that put Popo to shame.

A few times though, the artists came close to the real deal. A lot of the fluffier ones involving nightmares and calming Lucas down reminded me of my younger self, and made me smile once or twice in spite of myself.

But that was the thing. The characters were good _,_ but they weren't  _us_.

The artists seemed to have a harder time drawing out Lucas's character onto the page, because of the ones I'd perused, Lucas was no better. Over half of them depicted him as this helpless wimp who cried over everything, and the other half drew him as this unfeeling, angsty, die-hard  _fuck-you-Ness-_ _you-don't-understand-me-and-my-tragic-past_  prick.

Lucas is neither.

His dad was stubbornly set on raising him on tough love, and it shows. Lucas is independent. Lucas guarded his heart, only because he was afraid of getting hurt. Lucas didn't smile often, but whenever he did, it was endearingly awkward, and brightened up his face in a manner his smirks failed to do. Lucas might have been a crybaby once upon a time ago, might have learned to overcome it with the stoicism I wished I could've learned, but I loved him for whom he was because only he could make me go all fuzzy and jittery inside.

It was how Lucas had changed over the years. Emotional trauma, he said, was a good catalyst for growing up, and I know I've done my own fair share in the past month.

Lucas isn't flawless. Lucas isn't two-dimensional. Lucas is just Lucas.

That's enough for me.

I have no idea how long Popo stood in that yaoi aisle, weeding out shitty Nesscas doujins, but after skimming through pretty much all of them, I could tell that each manga had been selected for a clear purpose.

In short,

NESS STOP BULLSHITTING AROUND AND GO FOR IT.

When the shower turns off, I hastily sweep the mangas into my luggage because forgive me if I don't feel like having this conversation with Lucas at this time. Not ever. Not yet. Not soon. I'm not desperate. I don't want Lucas to get the wrong idea. I've seen how sex at the wrong times for the wrong reasons has destroyed relationships, and while neither of us are quite at that stage yet, we're both mature enough to talk things through.

I like Lucas no matter what he does.

And I don't think he's used to me telling him that.

Dead mom and brother aside, I don't think he's used to ANYONE telling him that.

That's not okey.

So when Lucas walks out of the bathroom fully-dressed, I clamor after him, sneaking in a hug and a quick  _I-love-you_  before he pushes me away with a 'not now, my hair's wet.'

"You're going to get your shirt all damp, and then it's gonna smell," Lucas says, rummaging for his hairdryer.

"But I want a hug  _now."_

"A few seconds waiting won't kill you."

I give him what I hope is a pleading look.

"I'll be right back," Lucas reassures me, unfazed by my sad puppy dog eyes, and returns to the bathroom. Roommate, friend, or otherwise, he's become desensitized to my persuasion tactics.

What a cold-hearted soul.

Puffing up my cheeks, I wait for Lucas in the living room.

With my mom and sister off shopping, we had the rest of the day to spend together alone. Even better, I got a kick out of watching Tracy wail in horror the entire time mom dragged her to the car, because Tracy hates shopping with an ungodly passion. She hates it almost as much as  _I_  do. Understandable, considering that she's the sister of a gamer with fine taste. I would've felt bad for bailing on Tracy, but if my mom hadn't taken her away, she would've dumped my little sister on me. And as much as I love you Tracy, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to take one for the team.

Because I'm taking Lucas out on a date. The classic couples choice of the century: The movie theatre. Followed by a lazy stroll through AsiaTown, because they're holding some sort of pre-celebratory food festival for Chinese New Years.

And as you know, I'm always down for good food.

I unplug my phone from the charger, and the screen lights up with all my missed texts.

 _ **PSI Paula**   **7** **:01AM**_  
_I wish you PK Luck on your first date!_  
_(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧_

 _**K** **ing Poo Panda 7** **:45AM** _  
_Paula sent me text massage_  
_I pray for good wishes_  
_Though for what I do not understand_  
_But dates taste good_  
_And who is this "Lucas"_  
_is he your sworn enemy_

 **& Donuts**  **8** **:24AM**  
GASP  
_first date?! ! :O_  
_omG_  
_DX WHY U NEVER TELL US ANYTHING U MEANIE >:(  _  
_plz post cute pics on snapchat :D :D :D_

 **& Donuts**  **8** **:29AM**  
Sorry, that was Tony.  
_We're both rooting for you!_

 **FuckThePopo** ❤  **10:11AM**  
yo heres a free coupon for XL popcorn  
_and heres a link for corny pickup lines_  
**FuckThePopo** ❤ **has sent you an attachment (2)** **  
** now go tap that ass ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I hastily send a wave of generic responses back before turning the ringer off, because while their well-wishes are appreciated, shit do I know that other texts are to follow. We should take off before word takes my other friends by storm.

Lucas walks into the living room on his cell, but glances down when I wrap my arms around him in a sneak-attack. Surprise hug, ha. He shouldn't have lowered his guard so soon. "Hello? Yes." A pause. "Oh, okay. I'll let him know." Another pause. "I'll think about it. Yup, my pleasure." Click.

I peer at his phone screen. "Who dat?"

"Peach quit patrol duty. She wants to know if you can take some of her shifts next month."

But my January's all packed. "Aaah, I don't know..."

"She says that she'll put her cookies on the table."

...I think I can squeeze in a few shifts.

"Okay, but it's gonna suck because hers are usually on the weekends." I nudge my head under Lucas's arms to sneak in another hug. "What's Peach doing for community service?"

"She's an instructor for ballroom dancing."

"Let me guess. She wants to recruit us."

"They need more guys."

Why am I not surprised. "Are you gonna join?"

"I told her I'd think about it."

Clever response. At least it saved Peach the trouble of hounding after Lucas for the entire day.

I grimace. Between Marth and Peach, I have yet to decide who has scarier college recruiting skills. They're each persistent in their own way, but given her sneaky cupcake and baked good bribes, Peach is definitely the larger threat. I mean, she hands out FREE FOOD. How can I say no to that?

But college classes cost money, and heck if I'm spending moolah to twirl and make a fool of myself in front of a gaggle of girls. I value my street cred.

I spare Lucas a glance. Despite slouching so much, Lucas actually has a nice form. In the rare instances I've seen him act his age, goofing around the bathroom mirror before noticing me and turning bright crimson, I've wondered if Lucas would genuinely enjoy living the normal life. Study to his heart's content. Try out new hobbies. Learn all sorts of subjects. Science. History. Music. Art. Heck, even dance. I mean, okay, Lucas looks stiff and awkward as hell, but that's because you've never seen him fight. It's crazy. Once he gets into the flow of the battle, he's surprisingly fluid, what with his long, lanky limbs and impeccable sense of rhythm.

Then again, I have no doubt that Lucas would do well in anything he put his mind to. He puts his all into everything, and thrives in a challenge. I'd be pretty fucking hopeless in college, but Lucas?

It's really a shame that he had to drop out of school.

We jump when my phone goes off in a loud flurry of high-pitched  _dings_. Aw shit, don't tell me. I forgot to turn my ringer off.

Lucas's eyes laugh at me. "Somebody's popular." Another  _ding_. "Very popular."

I feel my face heat up. "Let's talk on the way," I sputter, pushing Lucas out and stuffing my now-silenced phone back into my pocket.

We ride the inter-city Metro to the movie theaters.

I know what you're thinking.

And you can cross that thought out of your head.

The ride is far from romantic. The Smash City Metro was a crappy, beaten-down ripoff of a bullet train. It's so full to the brim with people that we're stacked against each other like canned sardines, and at every station, it stops so abruptly that I bowl straight into the window. It gets better when we manage to snag two empty seats out of sheer luck, but the initial jerk almost always catapults me out of my chair. I sneak a glance at the faces around me, because while we're bundled up in layers of layers, Lucas outright refused to wear his sunglasses.

"Better safe than sorry," Lucas says, now fixing his eyes on another rustle of movement - an old woman struggling on board with a cart of groceries. He offers her his seat before I can. Puffing up my cheeks at the loss, I stand up anyway and sock him goodnaturedly in the shoulder.

Still, when Lucas rakes his eyes over the Metro in bemused disinterest, I know that his composure is a facade. Lucas has been on-guard since Porky's appearance. If he's risking his cover in favor of his telepathy, it's says a lot about his current mindset.

Reflective lenses block his mind reading powers.

And Lucas wants to be prepared in case things go south.

So I nudge myself against his side, then grin wider when he glances down at me. "I'm keeping watch too," I say seriously.

In response, Lucas's shoulders relax.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

I wanted a perfect first date.

But the weather had other ideas.

When we step out of the metro station around noon, the dark sky gives an ominous rumble. And then, five blocks down from the movie theatre, the sky gives me the giant fuck u and starts raining.

Let me rephrase that.

It's pouring cats and dogs. Each droplet is like the size of my fist. Except that the temperature is cold as fuck, so instead of rain, we have this gross slushy sleet that pelts us in the face and soaks our socks.

We dash to the movie theatre before the worst of the storm hits. As we shake off our sopping jackets, I notice some stares directed our way. I'm that good lookin'. It can't be helped. But to our luck, no one comes to bother us, because hey, this is Smash City. On a good day, the odds of bumping into a celebrity here is like one in ten. We might get more looks the longer we stay, but most people here are used to seeing smashers do everyday life stuff.

Besides, Urfbound. The chances of us bumping into somebody from our smallass fandom are hit or miss.

On the other hand, some better-known smashers can never catch a break.

"-and there we go," a familiar blonde says, bending over to smile into the phone. Taking a selfie, the last delighted fan shakes the bounty hunter's hand before eagerly scampering away to her smiling parents.

"Samus!" I call out.

She turns around with a painfully forced smile. "Sorry kid, duty calls, that's the last selfie- Oh." Relief floods Samus's face when she recognizes us. "It's you."

"Yes. It is indeed me, in the flesh." I joke, taking out my i-phone, "Can I have a selfie too-"

"Bugger off, I'm on patrol," Samus grunts.

Huh. She must be in a bad mood.

I give Lucas a pleading glance. "I'll send you a coupon for the popcorn via messenger. Can you...?"

"I'll go grab the snacks," he offers, walking away to leave us in peace.

Once he's gone, I sympathetically shift closer to Samus's side. "Bad day?"

"You wouldn't know half of it," Samus mutters, sheathing her electric whip. "I'm covering for Peach this week. Guess she asked you for help too."

"I heard that Bayo bailed. Is she really...?"

"A school sub."

"That's crazy."

"I know. Kids are the worst," Samus groans. "But hey, who am I to stop her. Bayo does what she wants. She told me that she wanted to help out, because Jeanne teaches at the local high school here, but between you and me? She's got a soft spot for children. I think Bayo's been dropping me hints to sub in too, but ugh, nooo thanks. She's already adopted Cereza. She might as well open a up a new daycare for strays and get it over with."

"She'd be good with kids," I agree, glancing around the movie theater. I lower my voice. "What do you think about the new Hands-Off Act?"

"What about it?"

"It'll ban us from patrol duty. Do you think Master Hand will cave?"

"Who knows. He's under a lot of hot water from the makeover you gave Porky - don't you dare apologize, he was trying to blackmail Lucas," she adds with a scowl. "But the act has a good chance of getting passed into law."

"I shouldn't have punched him."

"You shouldn't have, but you did. Don't repeat the same mistake twice," Samus says bluntly.

"That's what Lucas told me-"

"Then he's right. Or even better, tell  _me_  next time so I can beat the bad guys up for you," Samus smirks, and I laugh. "Kidding. Not really. Anyways, you should start looking around for other jobs in case the act gets passed. I might stick with bounty hunting if things don't work out."

It's not just Bayo and Peach who've found a change of heart. I've noticed more of the smashers leaving patrol duty in favor of the service sector. Wii Fit Trainer now earns money as a professional workout trainer. Wario's opened up his own business consultant firm. I'm not sure about how getting a job or going to college counts as "community service," but I guess it's Master Hand's way of saying,  _live a normal life for once, damn it_ _._

In other words, Master Hand wants us to see Smash City as a second home.

And it is.

Because Onett will always be first place in my heart.

"But we're not hurting anybody in patrol duty," I protest. "We've caught more criminals that way-"

"Not always. Sometimes we interfere with the police force, and the collateral damage-" Samus grimaces. "Master Hand's been getting daily reports about property damage ever since Sonic accidentally demolished that Bank of America on 7th Street. We might have experience saving people, but in the end, we're just athletes and normal do-gooders with fancy powers... we're not an official police force." Samus slides on her helmet. "That's another thing, by the way. You."

"Me?"

"Your age," Samus clarifies. "Everyone thinks that you and Lucas are too young to be dealing with crime."

"Tell that to Red."

"Him too. We've gotten complaints from a lot of parents. Letting you compete in the tourney was already a stretch. But patrol duty? It's dangerous. All the parents think that we're exposing innocent kids to second-hand violence and trauma. So yes, 'kids' also includes you."

"I'm not THAT young," I scowl. "I fought Giygas when I was like eleven. Gimme a break, I'm turning 18 soon."

Samus smirks, flicking the brim of my cap. "Tough luck. You're always gonna be the youngest of the Elite twelve, kiddo. But maybe the public's right this time. Go live a little. Explore the world -  _OH NOT ON MY WATCH,_ _YOU LITTLE FUCKER! STOP RIGHT THERE!"_  Samus grabs her electric whip in a livid fury. "Enjoy the date, I gotta dash."

She storms off after the terrified hooligan, who screeches and drops a stolen purse in his haste to escape. Noticing her, a horde of reporters with mikes and flashing cameras scurry after her. Now I see why the paparazzi haven't bothered us yet. They've got bigger fish to fry. Poor Samus.

"What did I miss," Lucas asks, two drinks and a bag of cheese popcorn tucked under his arms.

"Nothing much. Just Samus being a badass." I frown at the drinks in his hands. "Hey, you bought everything."

Leaving no room for argument, Lucas smirks and presses the empty soda cup in my hand. "You pay for the tickets, I pay for the food. What are you in the mood for."

"I dunno. Coke, or Sprite?"

"Your pick."

Hovering over the soda machine, I contemplate over my choices for an extra second. Can't decide? Simple. I slide the plastic cup underneath each canister and mix the two sodas together.

"Hey, drink this," I say, sticking a straw into the cup. When Lucas leans over to take a sip, he coughs and turns away.

"That's disgusting," Lucas complains.

"What?" I take a good mouthful. Sweet and bubbly. Not sure what the hell his problem is. "Tastes like ginger ale," I comment.

"More like ginger fail."

"Well then, you should've made up your mind sooner-" I eye the interesting green shade of his own drink. It's got ice and some bouncy-looking jelly. "That looks freaky. What're  _you_  drinking?"

"Matcha boba. It was on sale."

I stubbornly make grabby-grabby motions with my hands. "Lemme taste."

As a true sign of my awesomeness, Lucas complies, lowering his drink to my face. Except he misjudges the position of the cup and my sudden speed, so the straw pokes into my right cheek.

Rubbing my cheek, I make a face. "Wow, you're so graceful."

"Thank you, I try."

"That wasn't a compliment!"

"Even the best of us make mistakes," Lucas says graciously, pretending to look the other way, but I know too well that he's struggling to suppress a smirk on his face.

"All right, c'mere you," I break out furiously, reaching for his face, but before I can, this lil fucker pokes my other cheek with the boba straw.

"Oops," he snarks.

I wrestle him into a headlock.

Moral of story: we're both immature little fucks to each other.

"You're so easily provoked," Lucas notes when we sit down at the farthest end of the movie theatre. "It's a wonder how you haven't ticked off the press before now."

"Uhuh, and you have fail taste in sodas," I say grumpily.

Lucas nudges my arm. "Cheese popcorn?" he offers, and shit if all my resolve has melted at the sight of food.

Nice try. He's good, I'll give you that. But I'm above such temptations. Nothing can sway me to the dark side.

Not even free food.

...

...

...

"Gimme." I reach over and cram an entire handful into my mouth. "Mmm, eet gud."

Turning away into the corner, Lucas is busy stifling a laugh into his hand. I'd puff my cheeks up, except that they're already stuffed with popcorn. Oh well. I'll get him back another time.

Instead, I settle for making another face at him right before the lights dim.

In the eight or so years I've known Lucas, he's never mentioned his twin brother to me. Not even once. If there's one thing I know about Lucas, it's that he can keep things in for years at a time.

But when I feel him nudge me in the shoulder as if to say  _sorry for being a dick_ , I fumble for his hand under the handrail and hold it tight. He'll make the first move when he's ready. Not before, nor after.

Then the screen lights up with the Dreamworks logo, distracting me from any further thoughts.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

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_**N** **uss 1:02PM** **  
** hELP_

_**FuckThePopo** ❤  **1:04PM**_  
_wats wrong_  
_fuk did u screw up again_

_**Nuss 1:04PM  
** how do u kis someone during a movie_

**FuckThePopo** ❤  **1:05PM**  
hahaha omg ness  
_ur hopeless_

_**Nuss 1:05PM  
** im getting super nervous and sweaty help me_

_**FuckThePopo** ❤  **1:06PM**_  
_i fuckin luv u ness_  
_all the bromo_  
_gotta go now bae ciao_

_**Nuss 1:06PM  
** POPO HELP ME_

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.

.

~oO0Oo~

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 _**Nuss 1:15PM** _  
_hi Poo_  
_how do you kiss sommeone you like_

 _**King Poo Panda 1** **:31PM** _  
_I cannot answer this question, Master Ness_  
_go ask your mother_

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~oO0Oo~

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_**Nuss 1:17PM  
** Samus_

_**Badass Sister 1** **:40PM  
** If you need to learn how to talk to a lady, ask your mum_

_**Nuss 1:43PM** _  
_bAYO STOP TROLLING ME_

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~oO0Oo~

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_**Nuss 1:25PM  
** Mom i have a question_

_**Nuss 1:26PM** _ _  
actually nevermind_

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~oO0Oo~

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 **Nuss 1:18PM**  
Jeef  
r Tony  
either or  
_can u tell me how tu kiss someone_  
_like during a date_

 _**& Donuts 1:21PM**  
_ _Brain chemistry says that falling in love is the same thing as being drunk. Don't worry, you'll still remember everything tomorrow._

 **& Donuts**  **1** **:26PM**  
_mOVE OVERJEFF_  
_OMg a kiss?!_ (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻  
_What type of kiss? ?!_ _:D :D :D_

_**Nuss 1:35PM  
** say what_

**& Donuts**  **1** **:36PM**  
_A lingering kiss? Eskimo kiss? French kiss? Butterfly kiss? If you want something more platonic, id go for the foreheadkiss_ (⌒▽⌒) _:D :D_  
_if u want tongue, then do french_ (づ￣ ³￣)づ  
_peck him on the lips_  
_then gently swirl your tongue if he opens his mouth_

_**Nuss 1:37PM  
** THERES MORE THAN ONE WAY TO KISS SOMEONE?!_

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~oO0Oo~

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 _**Nuss 1:46PM  
** _ _Paula_

 _ **PSI Paula**   **1:48PM**_ _  
Are you texting me during your date?_ ಠ_ಠ

 _**Nuss 1:49PM  
** _ _...no_

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~oO0Oo~

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.

In the end, I learned that kissing is complicated. Sometimes tongue is involved, other times it's not, then you have kisses that aren't fucking romantic, and I'm so confused because I've usually kissed Lucas on the forehead  _like what if he thinks it's all platonic_  and fuck, I think I've been doing this entire dating thing wrong. But I don't go around kissing (up to) everyone, and while Lucas might be oblivious to most social cues outside of the platonic field, he knows that I like him because I straightup told him. He can't possibly be that dense.

Can he?

"Maybe we should've watched a different movie," Lucas muses when we exit the theatre.

"Really? I love How to Train Your Dragon, and I thought you did too-"

"You were on your phone the entire time." I look down, suddenly sick to my stomach. Glancing away, Lucas sheepishly scratches the back of his neck. "I'm getting hungry. Do you wanna eat-"

"Let's kiss," I blurt out. Lucas's eyes widen as if to say  _right here?_  and I fluster. "Well, someplace else I guess. If that's okay! With you. Aha. Hahaha." I bury my face into my hands. "God, why am I so weird-"

"You're not weird." To my surprise, Lucas slowly offers his hand. "I'm not big on PDA, so this will have to do for now until we go home," he says, suddenly finding his shoes interesting.

Then it occurs to me that Lucas might've had other thoughts in mind back in the movie theatre as well. Avoiding the paparazzi. Choosing the darkest corner. Sitting at the back of the theatre where no curious eyes can watch us.

Maybe Lucas  _was_  trying to make the first move.

I just didn't notice it.

A hot spike of warmth shoots up into my face. "O-Okay," I stammer, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him past the pedestrian crossing. "AsiaTown's having a huge food festival on Saigon Street, let's go there, they have lots of cool food and I like food food tastes good do you like food too okay I'll stop rambling now-"

In contrast to the dark cloudy sky, AsiaTown is alight with noisy color. Warm red, yellow, and white paper lamps dot the pathway streaming across several blocks. Street food stands are everywhere, with people hollering to  _TRY THIS_  and  _TRY THAT_  and  _HOW MANY CURRY DUMPLINGS WILL YOU LIKE TO BUY_ , with customers bustling around in makeshift pop-up restaurants demanding the  _NUMBER ONE WANTON MEE_ , with the mouthwatering smell of soups and stews warming up my face. A giant paper-mache dragon snakes around the block, breathing fake fire, and the children scream in delight, pointing at its jade teeth and glowing eyes.

We taste a little bit of everything. Wasabi peas that make my eyes water. Sweet rice crackers that crunch and crackle in my mouth. Li Hing Mui Strawberries that feel and look like ordinary sour patch gummies (warning: they're not). Boiled chestnuts in a paper bag that sting my fingers and send hot steam spiraling into the cold air. What Lucas doesn't buy, I stubbornly offer to share. Occasionally, some people notice us and ask for autographs. Or clamor for us to try more of their samples for free. We still pay for the extra.

There's also some freaky stuff that neither of us wanna sample, but I think I've made my mom proud for trying this many dishes. Though when Lucas points out grilled insect grub, I can't help but wonder how Toon can snack on a whole bag of that stuff. No wonder people BUG him. Haha. Nevermind.

Stuffed on pork bao buns, toppoki, takoyaki, and other food with stranger names, I regretfully glance at the untried soup restaurants. While I'm tempted to sit in for a meal after walking most of my stomach off, it's getting late. Mom's probably bringing back dinner too.

No, not  _probably_. This I know, because I'm reading her text on my phone.

But damn does that tonkotsu ramen look GOOD.

"We should head back, it's getting dark," Lucas agrees, looking into the sky, and I grin because he looks his age holding a sparkler in his hands. Catching the look, Lucas uncertainly glances at the sparkler. "Uh, what do we do with this?"

I steal the sparkler from his hands. "I got you covered. Tada!" I say, conjuring up a PK Magnet and swallowing up the sparks. Around me, people start clapping and shouting my name, and pleased by the attention, I give a deep bow. "Thank you for watching, ladies and gentlemen. There's more where that came from."

"Show off," Lucas snorts, and I playfully elbow him in the side.

The trip back to the condo is long. Swiping the metro card. Walking across the dark streets. Climbing the stairs to our condo.

But it's not so lonely with somebody else at your side.

No one's home yet, but we somehow find ourselves crashing back in our bedroom. While Lucas fumbles with the condo keys, dropping them on the cabinet with a clatter, I camp out on the edge of the mattress and glance out the window. The full moon looks brighter than ever tonight. Wow, that was corny. Embarrassed, I press my head against Lucas's side. He smells like the outside and ramen and grill smoke. I can hear him breathing, slow and deep, before he rests his head on top of mine. Guess I won't have any kisses today. Just cuddles. Lots of cuddles. That's okay. Cuddles are good. Cuddles are nice.

"How are you feeling," Lucas suddenly says.

I stir sleepily. "Pretty full, all things aside-"

"No, I mean, how are you  _feeling."_

Whaaat. I stop to stare at him blankly. "Feeling?"

"Yes."

"You want to know how I'm FEELING."

"Did I stutter."

"Woah, wait wait hold on. You want to talk about  _FEELINGS?!_ " I stress out, fanning his face in half-worry and taking his temperature with the back of my hand. "A-Are you okay?"

"I'm not. I'm still getting over my brother's death," Lucas says seriously, and I drop my hands when he meets my eyes. "But your opinion is important, and I care about what you have to say."

"I have no idea what I'm thinking half the time. Like, I'm serious, what if I'm not thinking of anything at all?"

"Oh, that explains everything." Scowling, I sock him in the shoulder, and Lucas breaks into an apologetic grin. "You know what I mean."

"You're a jerk. Stop smirking. See, I speak my mind. You know that."

Lucas pauses. "Normally, yes. But I haven't been able to figure out what you've been thinking," he says carefully. "Ness, I know that I can come off as callous. I'm not an easy person to talk to. I have a hard time talking about my feelings. I'm trying... but it's not easy. That's why you need to be more direct, because I'm not sure what you want."

"This sounds so weird coming from you."

"Deep down, I'm actually a sensitive person."

"Well, you don't show it," I grin.

"I try not to," Lucas says frankly. His eyes flicker to the side. "I probably wasn't giving you the easiest time, but I promise I wasn't trying to ignore you. I've been thinking a lot lately. I don't know where this... this will go. I still don't know. And I'm working on it, but I'm not ready to tell my dad yet-"

"If it helps, I wouldn't be either."

Lucas lowers his head. "You-" he swallows. "You deserve better. I keep hurting your feelings-"

"Yeah, and I did too. Shitty excuse if you ask me." When Lucas doesn't respond, I gently wrap my arms around him. "I love you."

"That's because you never gave yourself the chance to see other people," he says quietly. "Too many people make the mistake of starting relationships with people they shouldn't. You might be more compatible with someone else. Hasn't that ever crossed your mind?"

I don't even need a second to mull over it. "'Course it has. But I still like you. I think that you're cool. And if you're okay with it... we could give it a shot. See if stuff works out. Take things slow." I hopefully peer up into his face with a grin. "Are you happy?"

"I am, but that doesn't matter-"

"Believe it or not, you being happy actually fucking matters," I say seriously. "I'm not dating myself. This isn't the NESS ONLY zone. You're a part of this too."

Lucas exhales. His shoulders slump over, and with it comes the root of his insecurities. "Ness... I can't make you happy," he says plainly, but my throat clogs up just from hearing those words.

...Is this what he was so worried about?

He's such an idiot.

He's such a silly, silly idiot.

I poke him in the temple. "Hey." Lucas's face turns a delicious shade of pink. He's not looking my way, so I trap his face with my hands. "Hey, you. Stop running away."

When Lucas slowly reaches for my wrists, I half-expect him to push me away, but he lets out a breathy laugh and lowers his eyes. "I'm an idiot."

"It's okay, we're both idiots."

Lucas frowns as if struggling for the right words. "I want to... to say-" he fumbles, but I guess his brain's gotten a 404 error too, because his Proper Grammar button has shut down. "...Want to make you happy," he ends lamely instead.

And shit do those words make my chest ache, because somewhere, my heart's doing this gross laughing-crying-sobbing in the corner of my ribcage and I can't seem to make it stop, but at the same time I'm smiling so hard that I didn't think it was possible for my face to hurt so much. "What are you talking about, I'm already happy, you dingus."

"Liar. You're holding back."

It's my turn to swallow in anticipation. "You... Do you..." My voice dies in my throat, unable to finish the question.

Lucas's eyes meet mine. They're a faint sheen of bright blue in the dark, and when Lucas squeezes my wrists, applying a slight pressure, for once I know what he's trying to say.

Slowly, I reach out to cup his face. When I will the magic into my fingers, his eyes reflect off the violet from my own glowing eyes. Then I breathe in, just once, and press my palms against his cheeks.

Lucas's empathy link opens up under my touch.

And instantly I'm caught in a sudden rush of feelings.

As comical as it probably looks, my mouth's hanging agape from wordless shock because all of a sudden, I can  _feel_  what Lucas is feeling. How vulnerable he feels. How scared he feels. How warm and fuzzy and lightheaded he feels whenever he's around me, and I'm surprised at how transparent he really is.

Underneath my hands, Lucas's cheeks have turned a faint pink, and they're reddening with every passing second. He's letting me read his feelings. He's letting himself be vulnerable around me.

So I do the right thing.

I kiss his face off.

Before I know it, we're pressed up against the wall, making out like the world is ending. I push him against the wall roughly, urgently, desperately, and he's so much taller than me that he ends up sliding down the wall.

"Really, Ness," Lucas gasps from beneath me when I finally let him up for air, but since he does let me lightly kiss the freckles on his nose afterwards, I don't feel too bad for him. Stopping only to shift my weight over his legs, I feel my own face burn up, because he's watching me intently, his hair disheveled, his cheeks flushed, his blue eyes burning with a bright intensity.

And fuck if that isn't attractive.

My heart leaps _._

I want to touch him. I want to break his composure, I want him to make more of those flustered expressions. Licking my dry lips in anticipation, I crawl over and slide my hands under his shirt, but Lucas suddenly stops me, gripping my forearms. His breath is hot and unsteady against my face. I can feel his exposed stomach quiver underneath my hands.

"Too fast?" I whisper.

Shaking like a leaf, Lucas gives me a meek nod, and I awkwardly pull away. I'm a little disappointed in myself for killing the mood, but I have to remember how far Lucas let me go today. Letting me read his feelings. Opening up. He really is trying, and it's the best I can do to be there to help him out of the closet.

I swallow hard. Fuck me, I want to touch him. I want to touch him SO BADLY _,_  because he's here, flushed and breathless and mine for the taking, and I want to run my hands up his sides, I want to feel down his back, I want to do anything and everything, but I hesitate because I don't trust myself to stop if I start. I don't want to overwhelm him. I don't want Lucas to feel more vulnerable than he already is.

So instead, I reach for his wrists and guide them over. Lucas throws me a nervous look when I place his hands on the sides of my waist, but it's more of an  _are you sure?_  nervous than a  _HOLY FUCK RUN FOR THE HILLS I WANT OUT_  nervous, so I guess I'm doing something right for once.

"You can touch me," I say softly, and encouraged by my words, Lucas slowly gives my waist an experimental squeeze. I bite down on the bottom of my lip. Shit, I'm growing hard. Noticing my mortified expression, Lucas lets his eyes trail downwards. He makes a soft  _'oh'_  underneath his breath before an amused smirk spreads across his face. Dying of embarrassment, I bury my face into his shoulder, feeling like I'm drowning very slowly, because Lucas is still laughing under his breath, and his smile widens at the pointed bulge in my shorts. "Why, hello there, P-Ness."

"Fuck," I manage to squeeze out.

"I think it's cute," Lucas says helpfully.

"Shut up, no, this isn't cute. Puppies are cute. Girls are cute. My dick is  _not_  cute."

"No, really, I-" Lucas awkwardly shifts against me, and I involuntarily let out a choked whimper. Though I can't see his expression from the crook of his shoulder, I bet Lucas's face must be bright crimson again, because an immense embarrassment radiates through our open empathy link. "Uh, I-I think you sound amazing," he stammers.

His voice has gone all dry and throaty. I can't help but break into a silly grin against his neck. He's just as turned on.

Fuck that noise.

 _I_  turn him on.

This is the proudest fucking moment of my life.

A hint of curiosity tickles our empathy link. My hips stutter slightly when Lucas feels up my back, pressing his fingers against the curve of my spine. The shaking from his hands has died. He's just as horny as I am, but he's nowhere near as vocal. He's too quiet, much too infuriatingly quiet, so I whine and sink my teeth into the dip of his shoulder. Rearing back against the wall, Lucas gives a sharp hiss, his nails digging into my sides, and when I turn the tables on him, trying to tease out another noise from his throat, the bedroom door bursts open.

"It's time for dinner!" Tracy yells, and instantly, Lucas shoves me off.

Scowling as if my own face isn't burning beet red, I stand up. "GODDAMMIT TRACY," I shout after her.

"Language!"

"...Sorry mom."

"Aha, I knew it! You ditched me!" the little shit whirls around, cutting me off. When my mom directs a biting rebuke onto her, Tracy shrugs it off and storms away.

Well, that effectively killed the mood.

I pull a horribly mortified Lucas to his feet. "Sorry about that," I mutter.

"It's okay," Lucas says quickly, but his face is burning bright red. He's determinedly looking at everything other than me, and snorting with laughter, I grab him over by the face.

"Hey, I'm not done with you yet."

"Your mom's waiting," Lucas feebly says, sounding exasperated, but I steal another peck on his nose anyway.

Turns out, it's not time for dinner - not even close - and that there's an actual reason why Tracy was being MORE of a nosy asshole.

"I wish I can go shopping without her, but what else can a mother do," Mom says, setting down the groceries. Looks like it's homecooked steak for dinner. Aw yiss. "Tracy had to tag along today. She's growing taller, and school uniforms don't buy themselves. Lucas, I'm sorry you had to see that-"

"No, don't be. I just hope Tracy's okay."

"What did she do now?" I ask my mom, and she furiously shakes her head.

"Oh, don't get me started on your sister," my mother huffs, slapping the raw steak down onto the cutting board with vindictive fury. "Your sister started sulking because she missed talking to you-"

"That's not true," Tracy's muffled cry escapes from her confines.

"-and you know how much she loves your attention. She was in such a sour mood when you texted me instead of her. What will we ever do with that girl? Just leave her alone. She'll come around soon."

I warily glance at the shut bedroom. "Mom, you know that Tracy hates shopping-"

"Then she can go to school buck naked for all I care," Mom snaps crossly before turning to the stove.

I throw Lucas a wince. My mom's got a point. Even during my last visit home, I hadn't really paid Tracy much attention. I'd been so hung up over Lucas that I'd kinda neglected her. Knowing how possessive Tracy can get, even if it  _was_  still a shitty move on her part to cockblock me, I suppose that I'll have to make amends somehow.

But despite her upset, something about Tracy's obstinate denial makes me grin. She acts like she doesn't care about me, but oh little sister, you try too hard.

Guess that's one trait we share in common.

I cross over and rap the door with the back of my knuckles. "Erm... Tracy?" She ignores me. Okay, fine. I loudly raise my voice. "You see, little sister, when two people love each other very much-"

"Nooo, I don't wanna know," she cries as if clapping her hands to her ears. At least she's not ignoring me anymore.

"Come on, Trace. You heard mom. You needed new clothes, so don't give her the long face-"

"Easy for you to say. Mom didn't make  _you_  go through like fifty dresses." I hear someone shifting on the other side of the door. "I can't believe you dumped me for your date," she says miserably.

"Don't be stupid, I didn't dump you-"

"I texted you like a thousand times for help, but you only messaged  _mom-"_

"Look, it's not,  _AgH-"_  I say, messing up my own hair with a hand, because how am I supposed to explain that? Asking my  _little sister_  for kissing advice is just... no. Never. When Hell freezes over.

"You know how much I hate shopping, you traitor," Tracy wails, breaking into frustrated tears, and it must be a pretty big deal if I can hear her miserable sobfest echo through the door. "My big brother no longer loves me. All he cares about is kissing his stupid boyfriend-"

"Trace-"

"Nope, I'm never talking to you again. Big brother is the worst!"

"Then you could talk to his stupid boyfriend," Lucas helpfully steps in, and while he's more or less humoring my little sister, his words make me feel all light and giddy like a fucking chorus of angels just descended to sing  _hallelujah_ -

Aha, right. My sister.

When Tracy pauses with a sniffle, I breathe out a sigh of relief. Lucas has always managed to get through to her whenever I can't. Or really, Tracy flounces over to take refuge with Lucas whenever she's ignoring me. Sneaky little sister knows that I'll suffer if she effectively steals my best friend. Too bad Lucas is MY secret weapon. Tracy will cave in for sure.

She can't stay mad at me forever, right?

Fat chance.

"You're even worse. You'll tell Ness everything," Tracy cries, and Lucas gives me a helpless sort of shrug like  _well, she's got me there_. Curses, that method is shot.

I nervously clear my throat. "Tracy, we are um... I mean,  _I_  am very sorry-" Please forgive me, pleaaase. "-and want to make up for it by spending tonight doing... whatever you wanna do."

The door opens a crack. Rubbing her red eyes, Tracy suspiciously peers around the door. "Whatever I want?"

"Yeah."

"You'll do anything?"

"Course, sis."

Eyeing both of us, Tracy slowly opens the door wider. Then in a flash, she grabs Lucas by the arm and tugs him over. "Then he's mine for the evening," she declares.

"You can't do that," I say horrified.

Tracy puffs out her cheeks. "Why not? You never play video games with me anymore because I always win-"

"Not true!"

"And Lucas acts way nicer than you when he loses and lets me braid his hair-"

I raise my eyebrows at the revelation.  _You let her braid your hair?_

Lucas feebly shrugs again as if to say  _do I really have much of a choice?_  and I can't help but grin, because really, no matter how good of a gamer Tracy is ( _and she's pretty pro too_ ), Lucas goes soft on my sister. I'm sure that Lucas lets her win a fair share of their games.

"I like it," Lucas says simply, but I can feel him fluster through our empathy link. Oh this dork.

With a peaceful pact grudgingly having been made, my mom's hollers that she has about half an hour of cooking time left. When Lucas offers to help, Mom vehemently shoots him down, and we end up connecting the Wii motes to the TV for MarioKart. Predictably, Lucas loses to Tracy in the first game, though he still makes sure to finish ahead of me. It's brutal too. He CRUSHES my ego by being a dick and knocking me off the mushroom gorge on the last lap. I mean, dude, what asshole  _does_  that?

"...Did you let me win?" Tracy adds suspiciously.

"I let Ness lose," Lucas suggests, and Tracy giggles. Stupid blondes, conspiring against me. But I don't take offense, because Lucas's intended joke has nicely done the trick: Tracy's no longer upset at me anymore.

When mom isn't looking, I flip them off. "I hate you both."

Satisfied by her victory, Tracy lets go of her Wii Wheel. She sits behind Lucas to braid his hair, and in the meantime, I challenge Lucas to a rematch. When Tracy makes her finishing touches on the tiny French braid poking out behind Lucas's ear, she flounces over to my side.

"...Ness?"

"Uhuh," I say absentmindedly, too busy drifting my kart - HELL YES, SPEED BOOST. Lucas is in second place. Ha, take that, sucker. This match is MINE.

Tracy quietly hugs me. "I'm sorry I interrupted your alone time. I was a selfish prick, huh?"

Maneuvering my nunchuk over, I awkwardly pat her on the back. "Uh, that's okay. Just don't do it again."

"I won't."

"Then we're even."

Tracy's fingers pause on my braid. "I don't know what you two were doing in there... but at least it sounded like you were having fun," she snorts, and I choke, accidentally swerving baby Mario off Rainbow Road. A loud wail emanates from the screen at the same time Lucas crosses the finish line.

_Oh, goddammi-_

____

_"Language, Ness!"_

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe it stayed T
> 
> For Tracy
> 
> not that i have anything against nsfw. I dun trust myself to write it well if i tried, and I dun think it's necessary for dis fic. Couldn't decide between movie date and food market, so I did both :x
> 
> Poor Poo is confused. He thinks that Ness is trying a "date" for the first time, and doesn't know why Paula wants him to wish Ness luck XD 
> 
> i noticed that a lot of slash fanfiction/fanart/manga in general has a seme/uke trend. I guess it's to show who's top/bottom/vers/watsawhosas, which can actually be an important factor for compatibility in gay relationships, but yea noPE fuk dat shallow stereotype im writing this my own derpy way *jazz hands*
> 
> This chapter acts as a jab at my own pre-2015 writing where I first painted Lucas as a sad wimpy kid because I had no idea how to paint quiet characters. Quiet characters are awesome. They think a lot, but say very little. That's why they're so hard to write rip. Because even a fool who says nothing seems like the wisest man on earth.
> 
> Thanks for reading! :D


	26. The Things That Matter Most

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas learns a valuable lesson from a familiar stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS  
> A03 KEEPS SCREWING UP THE FORMAT OF ALL MY PHONE TEXTS ASDFGJKDHFHHJLDF  
> they're all supposed to be italicized... ;-;

_**"Ness."** _

_**.** _

_**"You tried to play the hero. You tried to save the world. You tried to save the world and everyone in it. But look at me now. Here in the future, I'm more god than mortal. I have riches beyond your greatest imagination. I have an entire army under my thumb, more servants than the eye can see, thousands of loving subjects who cater to my every whim."** _

_**.** _

_**"Don't you see? I won. I beat you in the end."** _

_**.** _

_**"Aren't you jealous? Ha, I bet you're jealous. I bet you're seething in your grave. I stole your stupid victory away from you, right under your nose. I kidnapped the famous Doctor Andonuts. I took away everything you cared about. And all those mementos, your yo-yo, the photos from your silly adventures... they're mine to keep! Because I'm a king, and you're just a lame loser. Haha. Spankety, spankety, spankety!"** _

_**.** _

_**"...Don't look at me like that. You have no right to- You're dead! So stop looking at me like that! Stop haunting me! I did nothing wrong. It was you! You made me do this, you... left me..."** _

_**.** _

_**"Huh? That thing standing over there? That's my adorable little monster."** _

_**.** _

_**"Its name was... Claus? Haha, that almost sounds like a person's name! But now it's my robot. Not even a fragment of life remains inside it. It's Master Porky's slave robot! It does whatever I say! It acts on my will alone. It's my double. It doesn't know anything about who you are! It's just a broken down piece of trash."** _

_**.** _

_**"Ness, let me ask you... When a toy breaks, do you know what I do with it? I... what? Fix it? Don't be stupid. I replace it with a new one. Lucky this model came in a twin pack.** **So here's my new toy. What do you think? Do you like it?"** _

_._

_**"Say hello, Commander."** _

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter Twenty-Six**_ ~

_**The Things That Matter Most** _

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* * *

Drunk on euphoria, I lie awake, a stupid grin on my face and the faint memory of fireworks crackling, popping, and whizzing in my ears. At some point, I swore that time has sped up, because the past day has elapsed in fast forward. Past colors, sounds, and impressions blur together in no meaningful order. Ness's laughter. The taste of strawberry pops on my lips. New Years Eve seems to have passed into New Years in the blink of an eye.

I can't remember having so much fun on this day.

It's hard to believe that exactly one year ago, I'd stood beside my father in the Buddhist temple, eyes downcast in silent vigil. Every year, I'd refused any of Ness's offers to hang out over Christmas break. I'd refused help. I'd refused to be happy. My mother had died so that I could live; being happy on her deathday seemed like a sacrilege to her memory.

Yet this year, I had the audacity not to return home and disrespect her name.

I uneasily fidget in my sheets. A nagging feeling tells me that my mother would've wanted me to be happy, that my mother would've wanted me to move on... but I have no real way of knowing for sure. I catch Ness sleeping in the corner of my eye, and my smile fades. I have a strong suspicion that my dad would disapprove of our relationship. Would my mother have thought the same?

I wish she were alive to answer.

With a gentle hum, my phone vibrates on the bedside cabinet. Reaching over, I turn it off.

"Happy New Years, mom," I say softly.

Ness snores on.

I shut my eyes.

We have different ways of showing affection to each other. Ness is freely affectionate where I'm reserved. I question everything I feel, because it's easier for me to break my emotions down to the heart of the problem. I guess I like to think that there's a reason behind everything I feel, because it gives me control over my life.

But above all, I'm afraid to love. Because I've learned my lesson early on. Because I've learned that all relationships are temporary. There's no point in forging new friendships when nothing is permanent. It hurts too much whenever I lose someone. My mother. My brother. Even my father in a distant sense.

Something bad always happens to the people I love.

So when Ness falls asleep, I shake because I don't know how this particular relationship will end. I don't want it to end. I'm happy because Ness is happy, I'm happy because Ness is here, and I want this feeling to last.

I've already lost so much.

I don't want to lose any more.

As if this can shield him against the forces of evil, I involuntarily curl around Ness tighter. He's mine. I want to make him happy. I want to keep him safe. Above all, I'm not going to let anyone take this smol bean away from me.

This smol bean is mine.

Ness stirs. "Hiii," he says sleepily. I glance down at him, but stifle a grin because Ness is half-asleep, clearly delirious and not-so awake. He flops his arm up to ruffle my hair, except that his hand falls short and clumsily paps me in the cheek. "Dun worry, Lookas. I protecc you... buh lemme smash first...zZZ..."

...Did he just quote a meme?

I laugh under my breath. Ness sleep-talks about the strangest things. With the Year of the Dog around the corner, I guess the doge memes ARE fitting for the occasion. Careful not to disturb him, I nudge his hand off my cheek, but Ness mumbles something else under his breath ( _so deep_ _much wow_ ) and wraps his arms around my shoulders. Alas, he protecc but he also attacc.

As if on cue, sleep-talking Ness decides to go on the offensive. "...PKAY FIRE," Ness says almost angrily before flopping onto my back like a security blanket. "PKAY FIRE, FIRE, FIRE."

I really hope he doesn't set the bed ablaze.

Something stirs in our empathy link, and Ness squirms around in his sheets. The little flashes I manage to catch are chilling. Another nightmare? Cold sweat beads his forehead, moisture dripping from the tips of his black bangs.

Deciding to intervene before Ness kicks me in his sleep, I gently prod him in the chest _._  "Stop spamming PK Fire, Ness."

"PGAY FIRE. Ogay." Smacking his lips together, Ness rolls back over to his side of the bed... then jerks awake. Flailing around in a dazed frenzy, Ness mutters under his breath and starts patting around the top of the bed sheets as if searching for something... or someone.

Though I have no idea what his vision was about, we've shared enough nightmares about the Ruined Zoo.

I think I have a pretty good idea of what's going on.

"Hi, I'm here, I'm real," I mumble when he clumsily fumbles for my face. Taking a few seconds to search my eyes, Ness breathes out an audible sigh of relief and lets go.

Funny enough, despite all the mass panic, Ness must not have remembered his nightmare either because he continues sitting on the bed, startled stupid. "Whudd jusd habben," he says groggily instead, the back of his hair sticking up like a porcupine, and I crack up for real because with all that noise, he woke HIMSELF up. It must suck to be a sensitive sleeper.

"You were saying dank memes in your sleep."

The confusion clears up from his face, and Ness groans. "Oh god nod again," Ness complains, but too tired to deal with my laughing, he snuggles closer to drape his arm over my shoulders. "S'op giggling ya derp. C'mere."

He's right. All thoughts can wait until morning.

Still, the nagging feeling refuses to leave, so early in the morning, I tie my laces and go running in the nearby park. It was there when I, catching my breath, bump into a bearded old man with thick owlish glasses.

"You!" he bellows, strutting over and startling me with the thunderclap of his heavily-accented voice. "It's about time you came. Where have you been?"

With no one around, it takes me a while to realize that he's speaking to me.

A heavy frown weighing upon his tanned features, the old man taps me on the shoulder, and I jump upright. Upon closer look, underneath his worn brown-tipped fedora, the old man is built like an aged lumberjack, sturdy but steady. His short neatly-trimmed white beard travels across from ear to ear.

"Well don't stand there, sonny. Help your old man out a little, will ya?" he says, impatiently thrusting his heavy pail of water in my face.

I try to come up with an explanation that he's got me pegged for the wrong person, but before I can think the words through, the old man's already gone through the forested trail, leaving the pail of water sloshing at my feet. I eye the bucket suspiciously, but something tells me that the old man isn't a threat. Maybe it's the snow white beard. Or the fact that he resembles a fit Santa Claus. Or the Old Man of the Sea.

Something compels me to listen to him.

So I hoist the pail up and follow.

Bare in the season of winter, cherry blossom trees sprinkle the pebble-beaten path with snow. The corner of my jacket sleeve brushes against rough bark when I shoulder my way through the forest of frozen black branches. Up ahead in the clearing lies a food stand erected from wooden beams, where the old man brushes the dust off his hands. A large pink banner with bold white words flaps above the makeshift porch:  **どら焼き.**

When I set the full bucket at the steps of the front porch and make to turn back, the old man nods in the direction of the sunrise.

"When was the last time you saw a sight like that? Beautiful isn't it?" he sighs, lighting his pipe. "But that beauty is no fit match for my daughter's. Now  _she_ , she was brighter than any old sun. Wild and impulsive she was. We lived in such a small village, so I told her to settle down early. Raise a household. Find a nice Japanese  _otoko_  to marry. What does she do? Hah, she refused to listen to her papa _._  Ran off to elope with a  _gaijin_  from the White Ship, then had the nerve to return from her travels and ask me for my blessing. Bah, humbug!" He snorts, and a spiral of smoke escapes from his pipe. "And you! When was the last time you visited your own grandfather? Haarrumph. Youth these days. Ungrateful lot."

"I'm afraid that you've got the wrong person. I'm not your grandson," I say patiently, and the old man scowls at me under the brim of his brown fedora.

"The wrong person? Nonsense. My eyes never lie. Sonny, if I had a dime for every day your mother never came to visit me in the past few years, I'd be a rich man," he snorts again. But as if drifting off into thought, the old man quietly smokes on his pipe. "But... your mother was right. He was all right, your father. Though I've lost touch with him. Where is that man, I wonder? Does he not have the time to visit me these days? Goddammit, I miss my grandsons!" He then glances at my uncomfortable expression and barks, "Why do you look so serious?!"

"This is my default face," I say wearily, because it's not the first, nor the last time I'll hear that particular sentence, but the old man gives me a hearty pat on the back that almost knocks me off my feet.

"You look a little pale, sonny. I'm no cook like your mother, but she's gotta have gotten those magic genes from somewhere," he says, and hobbles into his store. "We open up at ten, so the red bean paste isn't ready, but by Jove if I'm not treating my own grandson." From outside the food stand, I watch as he struggles to crack open the eggs and mix the batter, but when I tell him not to go through all this trouble, that I have to leave _,_  he drowns me out with a loud declaration of his own.

"If you feel so bad about your old man cooking, then you tell your mother to bring her sons to see her pops," he says, threateningly waving his wooden spoon in my direction.

Resigned, I let him cook.

There's a sharp sizzle as he pours the dough onto the hot pan in little circles, and the mouthwatering aroma of butter intensifies. With a hum and a self-satisfied smile, the old man wraps several golden-brown pancakes with wax paper before he thrusts them into my hands. "Eat them while they're hot."

Something about the forlorn expression on his face does me in.

Piping-hot and steaming in the air, I blow into them and take a tentative bite. Light and airy like a spongecake, the fluffy cakes melt in my mouth. They're definitely a strong contender for my mother's omelettes... or of what little I can remember of them.

I've never tasted anything so delicious.

"You take after your mother," the old man says, watching me closely. "She too carried a fondness for sweets."

And while I know that he's clearly mistaken me for his grandson, his words send a warm flutter in my stomach. "Really?" I say softly.

"Oh yes. And her smile. You have your mother's smile. There's no mistaking that." Underneath his brown faded fedora, the old man has surprisingly kind blue eyes. The corners of his sunburnt eyes crinkle in smile. "My daughter faced adversary with her head held high. Proud, yet gentle. She believed that love could overcome all boundaries. She believed that love could conquer hate and prejudice. She believed that love was kind and beautiful as it was cruel. For is there a point to a life without love?" The old man wistfully glances at the pancake store. "Dorayaki... This was my daughter's favorite snack. I used to make it for her all the time before... before..." His eyes turn distant. "I don't remember... I don't remember a lot of things these days." He frowns, then squints at me through his glasses. "Say sonny, who are you again?" He laughs when I open my mouth to respond, then clears his throat. "Just kidding, laddie. I can never forget what my grandsons look like! Ahh... Life is too short to worry about the things that don't matter. So why the long face?"

"I told you, this is my default face," I groan.

He tuts, shaking his head. "So you say, Sonny," he says, pointing a crooked thumb my way. "But you can't fool this old geezer. Your eyes don't lie. See, that's the magic of someone in love." When the back of my neck burns, the old man cackles. "I'm right, aren't I? Love is but a fickle beast. It's such a wonderful feeling to love and to be loved... a wonderful, wonderful feeling. But ah, it's terrifying! When you fall hard for someone, you don't know which way you're falling. Up, down, left, right, or center...!" With a goodhearted chuckle, he motions to the pail of water with a wave of his hand. "But you know, sonny... The things that matter most in life require work. Sweat and toil will till the soil, as I say! You gotta work hard to reap the rewards. And that goes for everything. Well, everything except for saving. It's easy to save your progress. Listen carefully, sonny... here's how to save. Talk to frogs. It's not too tedious or troublesome, so you should talk to frogs as often as you can. Plus saving is  _free."_

"Er... I'll keep that in mind."

Satisfied by my–albeit baffled–response, the old man cheerfully leans back and lowers his pipe. "Excellent. Nothing is more important than family. So stop by next time with your mother. You'll do that... won't you, sonny?"

_"Alec! There you are!"_

We turn around. A young man in a pink dorayaki apron skids in front of the porch, glasses askew and clearly out of breath.

"How many times did I tell you, we open at ten, not eight! The sweet bean filling isn't ready yet-" The worker catches sight of me with a groan. "Oh great Ganondorf, did the old man drag you out here? For Christ's sake, Alec, you can't drag every boy off the street and claim that he's your grandson-"

"Does he have a grandson?" I ask, watching the part-time worker push a clueless Alec stumble back into the food stand. For some reason, the sight makes my heart sink.

The worker shakes his head. "Never. I've worked with Alec at this store for the past nine years. He talks constantly about his daughter, her husband, and his two grandsons, but as far as I know, no one's come by to see him. I don't think he's got a family. Poor guy. The old man's brilliant at baking dorayaki, but between you and me, he's got a touch of Alzheimer's," the worker pants, ushering the lost-looking man back into the store when Alec tries to walk back out. "It's addled his brains. He's really a sweet guy, but he thinks that everyone he sees is his grandson-"

"Listen, laddie. This boy is my grandson," Alec says stubbornly, pointing at me. "I'm never wrong."

"If he's given you anything for free, take it as a free sample," the worker says hastily when I reach for my wallet. "But like I said, the sweet bean filling isn't ready, and we're not opening shop until ten, so if you want anymore dorayaki, you'll have to wait-"

"And tell your mother to stop by too. Eh, sonny," Alec yells hoarsely, waving around an arm as if oblivious to the volume of his own voice.

My throat turns dry, but somehow, the words spill out of my mouth on their own accord. "If.. i-if I see my mom again... I'll tell her to stop by."

The old man breaks into the brightest, toothiest grin I've ever seen him give.

Feeling like my throat is constricting, I turn on my heel, retracing my steps through the frozen cherry blossom forest.

In my hands, the heat of the forgotten pancakes sting my fingers.

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~oO0Oo~

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**"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please. SkyTrain One-Nine-Nine-X on Platform Twelve from Smash City to... Street Fighter Dojo, Japan... will be departing in ten minutes. Thank you, and have a safe flight."**

**.**

**"Welcome to the SkyTrain. Please stand behind the yellow line."**

**.**

**"Good morning. This is the SkyTrain** **One-Nine-Nine-X on Platform Twelve** **departing to...** **Street Fighter Dojo, Japan** **. Our next destination... Onett."**

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~oO0Oo~

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"-in the living room. It's the black cord, not the red–No, mom, that's the Wii cable-"

"Trace, did you steal my Runaway Five shirt? That was my favorite one-"

"Down boy,  _down._  Mom, I think King's hungry, he's trying to eat the carpet off the floor-"

"No, you can keep it, I was just joking. Aw, so you  _do_  love me. What? What d'you mean you don't? Hey, ow, don't punch me-"

"Yeah, that one. Tracy can help you connect the laptop to the tv  _when she stops abusing me_ -"

"King, here boy, I got you dinner. Now stop demolishing the furniture you lazy shit–Yeah, I love you too. Hey, stop licking me,  _noO-"_

"Wait, you didn't need to take over the dishes, I was just about to finish them-"

...

"Hey, you okay?"

...

"Lucas."

Just as I notice that I'm squeezing the shit out of the poor detergent bottle in my hand, Ness cranes his head over to peer at the sink. As if sensing my disquiet, Ness presses his cheek against the side of my shoulder, and the tips of his black bangs droop downwards like a corgi lowering its ears. "What's wrong?"

I left my father slaving away at our debt. I refused to honor my mother's name. I let my brother take his own life.

I wasn't trying to hide anything.

I just didn't know what to say.

The words tumble out before I can stop them. "I'm fine. Just zoned out." I twist myself around to escape his grip, but Ness traps my face in his hands.

"Hey. Look at me." Concern radiates in his eyes as he searches my face, and I avert my own eyes. "I know the past few days have been a lot to take in. Like,  _wooo,_  parents, people... more people," Ness adds somewhat awkwardly with air quotes, and I can't help but snort along. "And... and I was there when Porky dropped that massive bomb on you. It's totally fine. I get it. Just let me know if you need some space, okay?"

I manage a smile. "Thanks. I'll let you know."

Ness gives me this unconvinced look, but to my surprise, he drops the issue, instead grabbing me by the forearms to pull me into a hug. The  _whoomph_  of momentum sends a flurry of rainbow soap bubbles flying from my detergent bottle, floating and popping on his black hair. "Well, like I said, I'm here if you wanna talk," he mumbles, then awkwardly patting me in the back, plods off to help his panicking mother ( _Ness, do we unplug the Wii? But all these cords look the same-)_.

Recalling his slumped shoulders and tired eyes after an emphatic healing, I know I don't want to burden Ness with anything else. I don't want to burden him emotionally. Physically. Financially. Not when it's my tragedy to bear... The same way I have to pay off Porky's debt and clear my father's name on my own. The quicker I do, the safer I will be, and the safer Ness and his family will be.

I don't want to be at anyone's mercy.

I don't ever want to feel helpless again.

So I focus on taking off one load off my chest, one at a time. I don't have time to mourn when making money is a more pressing matter, and as horrible as I feel, catering to Ness's needs might have to take a backseat until my father's debt has been paid.

But when Ness scurries back over to sneak in another hug _,_  it eases the constricted feeling in my chest. Just a little. My heart a bit lighter, I stack the rest of the clean dishes into the dishwasher just as Ness's mom hurries into the kitchen with a noise of dismay.

"What are you doing here? Did my son put you up to this?" When I try to tell her that this was all done on my own accord, Ness's mom impatiently pushes me away. "Aiyah, that lazy boy."

"Ness started the dishes, I only took over-"

"I keep telling him not to leave things half-finished. It's bad work ethic," His mother continues as if not taking in my words, but her eyes turn warm. She turns around to glance at me, and lowers her voice. "Ness told me that you're heading home right afterwards... but we'll probably be up late tonight. If you decide to change your mind anytime, you're welcome to sleep over-"

"I'll think about it," I say softly, because despite her good intentions, Ness's mom looks stressed out, with her disheveled blond hair and bags under her eyes. I don't want to overstay my welcome. "Thank you for the trip. I had a lot of fun."

Ness's mom breaks into a beaming smile, a split replica of her son's. "Oh? I'm glad to hear that. Lots of fun is good." She pats me on the cheek, and giving me a stern look, swipes the detergent bottle from my hands. "Thank you, Lucas dear. You've already done enough. Now go brush your teeth, scoot."

Mildly chastised, I grab one of Ness's towels and climb upstairs towards the familiar sound of bickering.

Since I'm over at Ness's place for the time being, I get the rare chance to observe the Wild Ness in his natural habitat.

For whatever reason, Ness is in a good mood, and the signs are hard to miss. He's practically  _bursting_  at the seams from happiness, jumping around like he's got no stamina to lose and singing crappy pop songs into his toothbrush. Though when he points at his own reflection in the mirror and starts yelling  _yOU ARE THE DANCING QUEEEEEEEN, yOUNG AND SWEET ONLY SEVENTEEEEEEN_  at the top of his lungs, Tracy draws the line and storms into the bathroom to tell him off, because  _can't he see that she's taking a phone call from Elizabeth_  and  _oh my_ _god, how gay can he possibly get?_

Amidst the hullabaloo, I finish flossing, wash my hands, and oh... I think they're still at it. Sure enough, here comes Ness's mom fuming on cue with her wrath of a thousand monsoons.

"How many times do I have to tell you two to behave? We have guests over," Ness's mom shouts, nabbing both wincing siblings by the ear.

"What guest?" Ness whines.

"Yeah, Lucas is family," Tracy grumbles.

"If you two behave half as much as Lucas does, then the house would be nice and quiet. Look at him! He's so kind and polite. What a gentleman."

Then the back of my neck burns because I did not expect to be dragged into this mess as a "role model of excellent behavior" yet again, and Ness snickers into his palms. Shaking her head, Ness's mom makes her way down the stairs in a huff.

Dashing to the edge of the 2nd floor balcony, Ness leans over the railing. "It's okay, I'm your favorite son," he chirps after her.

"I don't take favorites," His mom sniffs, but stops to fondly ruffle his hair when Ness clambers down the stairs after her to demand affection.

"Favorite son? Ha, you might as well be good as dead now that Lucas is here," Tracy sniggers after her brother, and I hastily escape from the bathroom before this starts another row with me stuck in the middle.

My escapade doesn't go unnoticed. When Ness finally dives back into his bedroom, he flashes me another one of his stupid dopey grins before marching over to slide my laptop aside.

Recognizing his intentions, I swallow down my nerves when he crawls over my legs. "Not here, your sister's next door-" I manage before Ness grabs me over by the face and kisses me hard.

I think my face is permanently stuck with this stupid flush. Forever.

Then Ness pulls back. "Is this okay," Ness asks breathlessly, his eyes searching my face. He fumbles for my wrists to give them a small squeeze, and I know it's his way of saying,  _you're in charge, let's do this your way._

I slowly slide my hands up his back and ease him into a gradual hug.

Despite me being an awkward mess of arms and legs, Ness relaxes with a sigh, melting into me when I feel him over his shirt. I can count every muscle underneath my hands. I can feel every hot spark of magic that fizzles and pops from his hair into my skin like static electricity. Upon contact, the glowing circles burst into happy mini fireworks, heating up my face.

Then something catches underneath my fingertips on his back, right under the nape of Ness's neck. With a frown, I brush through his hair over the faint indent. It's an old scar from an empty ink pen, unkind letters that someone cruel carved into his skin, a lasting memento of his childhood underdog days before magic entered his life. The injury is long gone, the words faded away into obscurity, but the scar itself hasn't disappeared.

A lump rises in my throat.

As if reading my mind, Ness twists himself around to catch my hand.

"It's okay," Ness murmurs kindly, even though it's really not, the idiot never should've stood up for me in school, not when he was shit at a fistfight then, so I pull him closer. He breaks into a giant grin, slightly lopsided and a tad bit cocky, before tilting his head. "Hell yeah, I showed them not to mess with us," he puffs up with pride, and I roll my eyes.

"They beat us up, Ness."

"Well, for ten against two, at least we gave it our best shot," Ness says softly, now reaching up to ruffle his fingers through my hair. With a pleased hum, I bury my face into his shoulder. I might've forgotten many things, but this is one moment I don't plan to forget.

Then Ness flashes me a shit-eating grin and pinches me in the inside of my thigh.

"Ow, what the hey," I complain, slapping his hand off.

"Happy St. Patrick's day!"

I press my palms into his stomach in retaliation, and Ness squeaks when I pin him flat against the floor. "It's January, you dolt."

"Time out, time out, your hands are like fucking glaciers," Ness yelps, squirming around in my hold. Satisfied, I let him go, and when Ness cuddles back against my side, trapping my hands in between his, my heart jumps into my throat.

Then Tracy's yell interrupts the quiet with a  _Ness, you're gonna miss movie time!,_  and without missing a beat, Ness answers her in a yell of his own, clumsily pulling me up and accidentally tripping over my feet.

Though an unexpected surprise awaits us in the living room.

"New Years is important to celebrate with family, and Ness is turning eighteen this summer, so I decided that we should watch some home videos instead. We've got some short tapes of everybody. That should last us a good two hours," Ness's mom says brightly, hooking the old CANON camera up to her laptop much to our collective horror.

"Sure thing, mom," Ness says with feeble bravado, though his forehead is starting to bead with sweat. Through the corner of his mouth, he surreptitiously leans over and hisses at his sister, who was wearing a painfully fake smile herself,  _"Heyyy. What's the plan?"_

 _"Easy."_  Tracy hisses back. " _We crawl out_ _the window, you teleport us out, and we make a break for it._   _Then we'll make our living on the streets as homeless fugitives camping out at the local Kentucky Fried Chicken."_

_"What about Lucas?"_

_"I'm sorry, brobro, but we gotta sacrifice him. Someone has to stay and act as a decoy so that mom won't notice that we're all missing."_

_"Wait, why do I have to act as the decoy?"_  I furiously whisper back.

"I can hear you three, you know," Ness's mom smirks, and we all clam up. Though the smirk slides off her face as she turns around, anxiously glancing at us. "We're so busy throughout the school year that I thought... well, we can watch a movie instead, if that's what you kids prefer-"

Tracy pretends to give a huge sigh before flouncing into the living room. "Well, if we  _hafta_  watch this, we might as well enjoy it-  _I call dibs on the pink armchair!_ "

"Oh no you don't," Ness cries, diving into the lone seat, and Ness's mom hurries over to delegate her children. Eventually, after an intense game of thumb-wrestling, Tracy takes the lone armchair, and the rest of us share the couch with Ness sandwiched in the middle. Though Tracy does volunteer to flick the lights off for us, submerging the entire room in the warm glow of the TV.

A whir. A click.

Then the first clip plays.

A boy, no older than ten, happily shouts into the camera. His lopsided cap, too big for his head, droops comically over his dark bangs and tilts to the side of his face. Then he beams widely, showing a gap between his teeth. _"Hi mom!"_

 _"Shh, pretend I'm not here._ "

_"But mooom, you **are** here."_

_"How old are you, Nessie? How old?"_

Little Ness frowns, taking a long time to ponder over the question.  _"...Huuh?"_ he says blankly, and his mother repeats the question off screen. Brightening up, Ness proudly thrusts nine fingers into the air.  _"I'm... this many!"_

Next to me, Ness groans and covers his face, peering at the TV between the gaps of his fingers. "God, this is so cringeworthy," he whimpers, and I can't help but laugh.

But when the camera refocuses, it turns out that I've laughed too soon.

" _My name is Mess,"_  Little Ness declares loudly, thumping a hand into his tiny chest.  _"And dis... dis is Lookas. Lookas is my bestest friend. Say hi, Lookus!_ " The camera runs wild as to my utter mortification, my elementary school self squeaks and hides behind Ness's back.  _"Lookus doesn't like cameras. I think he's shy,_ " I hear little Ness telling his mom, and next to me, Ness snorts with laughter. My face bright red, I watch the TV for a few minutes as little Ness and his mom try to coax me into view.

Slowly, a small scruffy kid with tufted blond hair emerges rather timidly from behind Ness's back.  _"...Hi."_

"Awww, you were so much cuter as a kid," Ness laughs out loud, and mortified beyond belief, I elbow him in the side.

A click. The camera blacks out into another clip. This time, a playground with bright yellow monkey bars and an obnoxiously red slide. The lens zooms in on two kids sleeping in a jungle gym. When Ness's mom walks closer, her shoes crunching on what sounds like gravel, little Ness stirs from slumber.

His mom sounds like she's trying not to laugh.  _"Hello Nessie. What are you up to?"_

 _"Shh Mom,"_ Ness says, bringing a finger to his lips and sounding immensely irritated much to my amusement.  _"Lucas is sleeping."_

_"He is?"_

_"Yeah, he's trying to sleep. It's reaaaally important not to wake him up,"_ Little Ness stresses, looking over his shoulder to my face. _"See, he's tired."_

The camera shakes as Ness's mom walks closer.  _"Okay, then let's bring him back home-"_

Instantly, little Ness turns his back to the camera, blocking me from view. _"Noooo,"_  he whines.

 _"Sweetie, it's getting dark. Lucas has to go home._ _"_ An arm appears in the side of the screen, but Little Ness fends it off with another loud whine of protest.

_"Does he have to go home NOW?"_

_"You see him everyday at school, honey."_

_"But we don't have school tomorrow. It's the weekend."_ Little Ness sulks, turning on his sad pouty eyes onto full max. _"Mommy, can't he stay?"_

_"We don't want Lucas's family to worry."_

_"But he's my BEST FRIEND,"_  Little Ness emphasizes importantly before puffing up his cheeks.

 _"Then let's see if Lucas is free Sunday. If you two finish your homework by tomorrow, we'll come out here to play,"_  Ness's mom suggests off screen.

 _"...with Tracy,"_  Little Ness adds, suddenly looking worried as if his mother's forgotten about the existence of his little sister, and Ness's mom chuckles.

 _"With Tracy,"_  his mother agrees, and Ness brightens up almost immediately.

Beside me, his eyes just as bright, Ness rests his head on my shoulder, his attention glued to the screen.

We've shared quite a history.

There's some other scenes that follow in no chronological order. Tracy's first day at elementary school. Ness giving his little sister a piggy back around the backyard. Ness bottle-feeding a toddler Tracy at his mother's insistence (...and failing miserably). It's just as prominent as the absence of Ness's father, but for the most part, one thing is clear.

I'm there.

I'm not sure if Ness's mom edited the compilation of videos for our viewing, but the general gist is there. I'm a part of Ness's family, just as much as I consider him a part of mine.

I think back to the crumpled family photos on the mantelpiece at home. Once folded neatly in the slip of my father's breast pocket to keep at all times, those relics are all that are left of my family history. No recordings. No videos. I've all but forgotten what my mother's laughter sounds like, what my father's smile looks like, how my brother used to comfort me when I cried over the smallest things. The smell of my brother's hair. The taste of my mother's omelettes. The sound of Boney's barking, the way he used to wag his tail in welcome and pant with his tongue out of his mouth when my father returned home from work.

But the screen in front of me flashes with Ness's excited face dragging me to the zoo in a field trip, both of us bobbing in the bright yellow plastic hats of our elementary school uniforms, and my heart grows warm like I've drunk a hot cup of tea. I might not remember much about my own childhood before my mother's death, but I have these fond memories.

All too soon, the last clip closes with a sniffling Tracy who's scraped her knee ( _Tracy puffs her cheeks up and pretends to look away in a huff, though I catch a small smile on her face_ ), and her brother tending to her injuries with his magic.  _"It's okay, it'll be okay,"_  he says, kissing her on the knee ( _now it's Ness's turn to groan at the cheese_ ), and on that final word, the TV fizzles out into black.

Tracy sits up from her armchair. "Are you guys done with the popcorn?"

"Yeah, we got some left."

"Fork it over," she demands, flouncing over to stuff both of her hands into Ness's stash, and with a playful frown, Ness yanks the ceramic bowl away.

"Get your own, you fatso," he pretends to complain, and as if setting off a chain reaction, the siblings are rolling around on the living room carpet, squabbling like a pair of geese over a piece of bread.

But Ness lets his sister win.

Always.

Pleased with her status of alpha sibling, Tracy leaps up with her spoils to boast her victory to their mother. Lying backfirst against the floor, Ness catches my eye with a knowing grin, and rolling my eyes, I grin back.

"Mom, you dun hafta drive, I can teleport Lucas home," Ness persists once the dishes are cleared and a satisfied Tracy quits bugging their mother. "It's faster, and you don't have to dress out of your jammies. Please? I promise I'll be quick-"

"Not this time. I need to talk to him about some things.  _Alone,"_  Ness's mom adds firmly, and I can almost see the dismay crash out of Ness in droves.

Noticing her crestfallen brother, Tracy flounces back over. "...Can't Lucas stay over?" she begs, puffing up her cheeks, and despite my nerves, I have to stifle the urge to laugh, because Ness has started to puff up his cheeks in an identical pout.

Catching wind of my thoughts, Ness rolls his eyes before stepping closer. His fingers are nervously fidgeting at his side as if fighting off the urge for a hug, or maybe for something more, but with his mom and sister here, his courage is shot.

So instead, Ness raises his hands to fiddle with the brim of his hat. "Stay safe... okay?" he says somewhat awkwardly.

"Yeah. You... sleep well," I say just as stupidly.

"Now  _kith_ ," Tracy pipes up, and when Ness gives into an exasperated groan, his little sister turns to him with an innocent blink. "What? Do you want me and Mom to leave so you two can snog-"

"I'LL SEE YOU AFTER WINTER BREAK, LUCAS," Ness says rather loudly, dragging his sister up the stairs, his face suddenly red.

I mumble a goodbye that goes unheard, equally embarrassed and aware of Ness's mom watching our exchange.

"Well, we'd better get going," Ness's mom says cheerfully, and I give her a nervous nod.

My anxiety rises with the car ride.

Uncomfortably settling into the front seat, I try not to think of Ness's mom in the driver's seat, and inwardly wish that Ness was here to diffuse the tension. I'm not sure what Ness' mother wants to talk to me about, especially when our last one-on-one had dissolved into a muddled mess of feelings.

A light drizzle peppers the windows with a rhythmetic  _ratatatatat._  The windshield wipers squeak back and forth. The radio crackles like a candle, its muted voices rising and falling with intonation.

"I heard that you have business with Porky Minch," Ness's mom speaks.

I grimace. "That's... one way to put it."

Tapping her fingers on the wheel, Ness's mom purses her lips. "When Ness was younger, our family was once in debt to Aloysius. Porky's father," she adds bitterly when I look confused. "My ex managed to pay it off, but it wasn't an easy task. And in your case... Porky's charges seem to be short of illegal."

"Porky tricked my father," I say softly. "I don't know the details, but if I try to expose Porky for his crimes, he might press the same charges against my dad for signing an illegal contract. The only difference is that Porky has connections with the police to bail himself out of jail. I can't promise the same for my dad."

"Your safety comes before any financial obligations. If you ever feel like your life is in danger, contact the police."

"I've tried. The police haven't done anything to help."

"Then start keeping a record of other offenses Porky makes against you. If he continues to harass you, try to file for a restraining order."

I'm highly skeptical that a mere piece of paper saying  _SWIPER-NO-SWIPING_  would stop Porky from making my life miserable, but I don't voice my doubts. "That's what your son suggested," I say instead.

"That's good to hear."

The radio drones on.  _ **"...On one-oh-three-point-five, Facebook has leaked data from over 80 million users for profit, selling information to 3rd party companies for a $1 per profile. Tonight, we talk about the ramifications of this leak on individual privacy rights in Smash City-"**_

"Is your father home?" Ness's mom suddenly asks.

"I think so."

"Does he know about...?"

I don't need to ask what she's referring to. "...No."

"If you told him, would he take in the news well?"

_**No son of mine is a fucking faggot.** _

My stomach does an uncomfortable flip. "I'm not sure."

Her voice softens. "The security code on our lock is two-one-nine-nine-nine-two."

...huh?

I turn to stare at her.

Her eyes on the windshield, Ness's mom pulls the car into a gentle turn out of the new freeway. "If you ever find yourself in danger, don't be afraid to tell us. Even if I'm at work, you have Ness's number. So call us. Or come straight to the house. Now that you know our combination code, you're welcome to stay over at our place for as long as you want." Glancing my way, Ness's mom breaks in the sly smirk reminiscent of her son's. "Just don't sneak out through the back anymore, all right," she says goodnaturedly, making me flush in realization.

So she knew.

My face boiling up with warmth, I stammer out a mortified  _"Right,"_  and Ness's mom breaks into a small laugh.

.

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.

~oO0Oo~

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.

 **Nuss 10:24PM**  
my mom's back  
did u get home safe

 **Lookas**   **10:31PM  
** I di d thanks

 **Nuss 10:31PM**  
HOORAY  
UR ALIVE :D

 **Lookas**   **10:31PM**  
Actually  
wait

 **Nuss 10:31PM  
** wats up

 **Lookas**   **10:32PM**  
I think imready  
Wanna introduce you to my family

 **Nuss 10:35PM**  
oh  
OH  
erm  
I hate to be a negative nelly  
but i think ur dad already hates me

 **Lookas**   **10:38PM**  
It'll be okay. I'll explain later  
Are you free to hang at 10 tomorrow?

 **Nuss 10:38PM**  
course I am  
anything for you babe

 **Lookas**   **10:39PM**  
gae

 **Nuss 10:39PM**  
ASDFGHJKKPL WHAT DID YOU CALL ME  
DID YOU JUTS CALL ME GAE  
LUCAS PLZ  
oh waIT  
so  
it IS ok if i call u bae? :D  
SCORE lemme change ur name in mycontacnts

 **Lookas 10:40PM**  
-_-  
no

 **Nuss 10:40PM**  
:))  
hey look  
a doublr chin emoji

 **Lookas**   **10:40PM  
** :)))

 **Nuss 10:40PM  
** :))))

 **Lookas**   **10:41PM  
** :)))))

 **Nuss 10:41PM  
** ilove roy

 **Lookas**   **10:41PM**  
Wow  
that was unexpected

 **Nuss 10:41PM**  
FUCK NO  
I MEANT  
ilove roy

 **Lookas**   **10:42PM**  
Who doesn't, really  
Personally I'm more of a Nightwing fan

 **Nuss 10:42PM**  
NO  
STOPPIT LUCAS  
okay gimme a sec  
lemme type this out with both hands  
ilbiyu  
*ulpceuuu  
DAMN IT AUTOCORRECT U HAD ONE JOB  
ONE

 **Lookas**   **10:51PM**  
haha are ufalling asleep again  
Go home Nus

 **Nuss 10:57PM**  
but  
BUT  
I am home

 **Lookas**   **10:57PM**  
Shoo  
Begone spirit

When my cell buzzes, screen lighting up with an incoming call, I press it against my ear in surprise. "Hey-"

"Alubyu," Ness spews out rather quickly, his voice breathless. "Just wanted you to know. Because. Okay? Okay."

"Ness, speak slower. I didn't catch what you said-"

" _AND I DON'T LOVE ROY!_ "

The phone clicks off.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is slowwww and sounds like Lucas is beating himself up for the same old things, but as the story progresses back into Smash City, this focus will shift. When people tend to have more free time (HOLIDAYS IM LOOKING AT YOU), their minds tend to wander more.
> 
> *In Mother 3, Alec is the GRANDADDD of Lucas
> 
> *Gaijin = foreigner. Often associated with a negative context/tone (i.e. "us" vs "them" mentality)
> 
> *Otoko = informal way of saying da 'young man'
> 
> *どら焼き = Dorayaki (fluffy pancake-like food)
> 
> *According to a Japanese myth, the cherry blossom tree (Sakura) grows over wherever someone has died. The tree represents the renewal and reincarnation of a soul. Though Mother 3 symbolizes this with sunflowers, I wanted to tie in something closer to Lucas's heritage, and cherry blossoms are especially sacred to Japanese culture.


	27. Dancing around the Issue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas drags Ness over to meet someone special.

_He stands upright on unsteady feet, and stares at the face before the Needle as if he's seeing it for the first time. As if he's waking from a bad dream. The soft candlelight glow of the Seventh Needle washes over the dusky cavern in ripples of light._

_His human arm aches._

_The gears in his chest groan._

_He tastes something metallic on his tongue._

_But the sudden bout of clarity has lifted the weight from his shoulders, because finally, he **remembers.**_

_There's someone precious worth saving._

_So there's no regret when he slowly wills his brainwashed self to a halt. There's no regret when he forces his arm cannon down, points the arc of his magical sword at the blood of his kin, and whispers his own death sentence._

_The Franklin Badge will protect his brother._

_The resulting flash blinds his eyes before his own magic rebounds, turning against its master. Through the pain of searing himself alive, he falls with a smile on his lips._

_Because as a broken jagged cry hits his ears, as his burned body is frantically turned over by dirt-caked hands, as he meets a familiar pair of betrayed blue eyes through the haze, all he can think of is how much he loves his younger twin brother, and that he would die a thousand times over just for him._

* * *

.

.

.

~ _ **Chapter Twenty-Seven**_ ~

_****Dancing around the Issue** ** _

.

.

.

* * *

Okay, I'll say it.

I have a shitty memory.

Or rather, I suck at remembering what I don't deem important. So really, it's normal for me to forget most of my dreams, and it's normal for me to get nightmares that I won't remember the next day.

Because really, who does?

So when I traipse down the stairs, Tracy notes the dark bags under my eyes with a grin. "Nightmare?" my little sister asks sweetly.

"Yeah, if that's what you call your face," I yawn.

A minute or two of sassing later and my mom admonishing me for calling my sister something less than  _cute_ , Tracy sticks out her tongue again and flounces up to her room.

But for some stupid reason, out of some inexplicable urge, I just  _have_  to scramble for my phone and call the face at the top of my mind.

Predictably, he's pretty disgruntled. "Ness, it's barely seven in the-"

"You know that I love you, right?"

When Lucas pauses, no doubt bewildered by what could've possibly caused this impromptu call, I clamp my mouth shut from mortification. "...Is everything all right?" Lucas starts off cautiously.

"Yeah."

"Do you want me to come over now?"

"Nah, just-" I take off my hat, suddenly feeling hot. "Just had to say it." Then I bury my face into my hat, because the embarrassment of my actions has just crashed down onto my head. ' _I love you'_? Seriously, again? If Lucas snarks me back, I'd have totally deserved it.

But to my surprise  _(and relief)_ , it seems like snarky!Lucas has decided it's too early to rise and shine.

"I know, Ness," he says gently. I hear more background noise in his end, and deduce that he's rolling back into bed. "I'll see you at ten. Do you wanna talk then?"

Oh, right. We're meeting Lucas's dad and stuff. My throat goes dry. "Sure, sure. That works."

"Okay."

"Yeah."

There's another pause. "Um... Ness. Just so you know, I do actually-" Then Lucas awkwardly coughs into the receiver. "Nevermind. See you at ten."

As if my forgotten nightmare was an omen of terrible things to come, the start of my fucking day quickly goes from bad to worse ** _._**

 **F** **uckThePopo** ❤  **8:07AM**  
Yo Ness  
Nessieeee  
when u coming bak

 **Nuss 8:10AM**  
Jan 10  
why  
i s Master Hand asking around? I turned in my leave of absence b4 the holidays

 **FuckThePopo** ❤  **8** **:10PM**  
Nah man  
Pitto and Lucina brok up

 **FuckThePopo** ❤  **8:12PM**  
Pittoo was looking 4 u  
Thought youd liek to kno  
anyways  
did you check DAM LEMME SMASH dAT

 **Nuss 8:12PM  
** Dude I dn't read gossip magazines

 **FuckThePopo** ❤  **8:12PM**  
course u dnot  
you and Lucas dropped from the shipping ranks  
from1 to 9  
tldr; an old ship is back, some people hopped off ur ship, fandom thinks ur friends

This, of course, demands a long explanation from its source.

"People aren't shipping us anymore?" I sputter.

"It was featured on the front page of the gossip column. Or rather, your ship wasn't mentioned at all. IkeXMarth is back up at number one, so people are busy drooling over that again. Poor Ike. He can't escape the mansion for Popeyes in a LONG while." With his wide rep as the office gossip, Popo's pause here almost feels intentional. Like he's about to study my reaction over the phone. "Hey, that's a good thing, right? No more excuses and all. You two don't have to pretend anymore."

My stomach drops. "I guess so," I say quietly.

"By the way bro, Ike's begging you to buy him a box of Popeyes. The fifty chicken combo with a side of mashed potatoes and fries. He says that he'll pay double. Just passing the word along."

This, unfortunately, does not mark the end of my morning shitshow.

Remember when I told you that I was stuck in a predicament? A horrible predicament called feelings and other squeamish stuff?

No?

Well, I'll reiterate. Basically, whenever shit hits the fan, it tends to hit the fan all at once.

So of course, when I finally dig into my daily slush of cereal and milk, my phone goes off again.

This time, it's a business call.

I choke on my breakfast. " _Winter Formal?"_

"Ness, the Twelve dance on Valentines Day every year. Your attendance has been - and is - mandatory," Peach says patiently. When I manage to swallow down my cereal, I can almost see her frowning in disappointment at the other end of the line. "Generally, the official SMASH couples take the dance floor first before the rest of the Twelve follow, but in your case, Master Hand wants to talk to you in private about your arrangement-"

"Now hold on," I say weakly. "Me and dancing is like, a bloody tripping hazard. Can't I skip the formalities this year?"

"You, the youngest of the Twelve,  _skip one of the most important diplomatic events of the year?_ Oh my, heavens no," Peach says, almost sounding horrified by even the mere idea. "Ness, Winter Formal is more than just any dance. It celebrates the unity of the tournament between different dimensions. Winter Formal on Valentines day is a long-standing tradition since Mario's initiation into the tournament, where each Smash couple shows off their affection for each other as a sign of undying trust across cultural borders-"

"More like a day where chocolate corporations try to milk all the cash out of their consumers," I mutter.

"Yes?"

"Nothing, nothing."

Winter. Blasted. Formal.

I'd forgotten all about it.

And now I want to rip my hair out, because I really do want to forget about it.

Because the dance itself was a ridicule. Every year, I'd either asked Paula or the Villager missus to dance with me, and -  _hopefully sparing their feet from being stepped on by my clumsy self_  - after the opening dance, we'd escape the ballroom to hang out with the other SMASH kids, cracking up and poking fun of the dance all night long. Because. Winter Formal was practically a children's game where we made fun of any grownups making out, and made faces at anyone who kissed, and ate as much free food as our waists allow us because fuck the paparazzi and fuck pretending to do politics like a stuffy uptight 18th century git in a dress suit.

But this year is different, because well... as you can see, I'm actually dating someone.

A someone who hasn't come out of the closet.

A someone who  _might_  not come out of the closet.

Add everything else on top of that, and the stress is so real. I get a bad flashback of all the glittery sickly-sweet heart streamers, of all the pink "romantic" decor hanging off the ceilings, of Mario and Peach slobbering over each other's faces, and I clap my hand over my mouth to resist barfing because nope. Just block it out, Ness. Just block it out.

Thankfully, I have someone whom I can relate to.

"Let's skip the fucking formal," Samus suggests for what sounds like the tenth time over the phone.

"We can't. Peach would whack us on the head with her frying pan-"

"Ness, I'll set myself on fire first before I wear a dress with fucking frills. I'm a bounty hunter, not a goddamn fairy princess," Samus says flatly, her voice dripping with disgust. "Listen, I love Peach, but she and Mario are gonna be super sappy and ugh, don't get me started on Link and Zelda-"

"I bet Lucas would rather toss himself to the sharks before I drag him to a dance, and I don't blame him," I say miserably.

"That is, if he doesn't kill you first for trying."

I wince. "Trying not to think about it. Who're you gonna ask out?"

"Myself. I'm going Ace," Samus snarks, and I accidentally snort on my milk.

"If you invited Mayo and Rosalina to go along for the ride, I bet they'd make the night a whole lot bearable-"

"I'm not allowed to pair with either of them for the opening dance."

"Why?"

"Because ballroom dancing."

"No, I'm being serious," I laugh, because she's totally smirking. "I didn't know there were actual fucking rules for the opening dance-"

"There are. And believe me, I know because I've tried about every loophole in the book. According to Peach, traditional ballroom dance rules dictate that we can only dance with the opposite gender. That's why I've danced with Captain Falcon for the last five years, Ness. He's three inches shorter than me, but there's only a handful of people I can choose from, because being "too tall" to dance with heels is apparently a legit ballroom dancing problem."

A horrible thought resurfaces in my mind. "Master Hand wants to talk to me after winter break. You... You don't think he's gonna..."

"He'd better not," Samus stubbornly says, but she can definitely hear the dread rising up my throat. "For fuck's sake, Ness, Master Hand can't force you to dance with someone else just to keep up appearances-"

"Great. Just bloody  _brilliant_ ," I mutter bitterly. "I'd rather not dance at all, thanks."

Samus heaves a heavy sigh. "That's two of us, pal. That's two of us."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

So around nine-thirty in the morning, I'm dressed in my Sunday best, and wading through a sea of flowers like a clueless chicken trying to navigate the Seven Seas. Because fuck if I know my plants, and fuck if I know where the rest of today's gonna be headed.

Taking pity on my lost state, the hippy flowershop owner - who thankfully doesn't recognize me as a fucking celebrity - drags me out of the aisle, asking me what I'm looking for, but I have no idea what Lucas's dad might like. Or if Lucas's dad even  _likes_  flowers. He strikes me more of a guy who's too busy Olympic weightlifting to stop and smell the flowers anyway. I consider calling Lucas again, but decide against it, because I've already bothered the hell out of him this morning. Besides, this gift is supposed to be a surprise, albeit a hopefully good one at that.

"I'd go for the mixed arrangement. Sunflowers are like,  _soo_  outdated these days," the flower store owner says dreamily, her eyes glazed. I wonder if she's high.

So I buy a bouquet of sunflowers instead.

I know, I'm a rebel.

But I bet you would've done the same.

Why? Well, because the sunflowers look super fresh and stuff. They look way better than the mixed assortment - and okay, they're not pink, which is a hella big  _YES_ in my book. Because forgive me, but I'm  _not_  gonna give my potential father-in-law pink flowers. Sorry, just not gonna happen. The point of this meeting is to formally introduce myself to Lucas's dad, not to rub my gay into his face.

But I do call Lucas. Just to let him know about the last-minute hitch in his plan.

"Did you get my text about-" I start, breathless, before Lucas interrupts me.

"Popo texted me too."

"Do you think you can-"

"In public today? I'm not ready-"

"-and that's totally okay, like I said yesterday," I interrupt, glancing at the sidewalk. "Don't rush. Take your time. Like I said, we can take little steps. You know... you know I'll back whatever you do, right?"

"...yeah."

I wait for him say more, but when my crosswalk turns green, I realize that there's really nothing left to say. The tone of finality is clear in Lucas's voice. A mutual understanding ripples through our empathy link. Lucas knows. He can stay closeted from the outside world for as long as he wants. He's got that right. But between the two of us, we've got no more room for excuses, no more room for cover-ups, no more room for pretending. It is what it is.

We know what we want.

There's no turning back now.

So when I turn off my cell, this makes me wonder what Lucas has been thinking about our relationship lately. Or at least, about what we are now.

It's barely been a month since we started "dating. _"_

And while I'm all for it, I'm now starting to worry that we're going too fast.

I bite down on my lip. While Lucas is pretty well-acquainted with my mom, I know little about his side of the family. I know next to nothing about his dad, much less am I ready to tell him about the true nature of our relationship. Bluntly put, Lucas's dad is a stranger for all I know.

But Lucas seemed pretty confident about telling his dad about me.

And I trust Lucas.

So as promised, I meet Lucas in the empty baseball field. Already waiting for me, he's dolled himself up a nice black overcoat, his Slytherin-esque scarf pooling around the bleachers. Suddenly a horrible thought strikes me because  _Oh fuck, did I go overkill?_  and yes, I definitely overdressed. But when the wind blows through the flaps of his coat, I notice that Lucas is wearing a suit and matching dress shoes.

Instantly, I feel relieved.

But when Lucas sees me hurrying over with my bouquet of sunflowers, a strange look enters his eyes.

Nervous, I stop my stride and wave my arms. "Tada! I... I thought I should buy some nice flowers for your dad, but I dunno if he's allergic. The hippy girl at the counter told me that sunflowers stood for longevity and good luck and stuff, but I thought it'd be weird I bought roses for your dad, because you know, it's not like I'm trying to ask him out-" When Lucas continues staring at me, I feel my own face heat up from mortification. "...uh, was that too weird? I can go return them on the way back-"

"No, these are... I love sunflowers," Lucas mumbles, his cheeks flushed red from cold, and I feel my own face turn warm because thank fuck, his reassurance doesn't make me feel gay for buying a bunch of flowers for his dad like a pansy. Breathing in the scent of the sunflowers, Lucas breaks into a faint smile. "They smell nice," he murmurs, a little embarrassed and pleased, and it makes  _me_  smile like an idiot because I've taken him aback, albeit in a good way.

Following him out of the bleachers, I glance around the baseball field, but it seems devoid of anyone else. "Are we going to your place?"

"Nope."

"Oh. Then I guess your dad's waiting outside-"

Again, Lucas shakes his head.

Understandably, this baffles me. "Then where the bloody hell is your dad?"

At this, Lucas pauses, his eyes sliding over to mine. "I never said that we're meeting my dad."

"Then what-"

"I want you to meet my mom."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

There's really only one word to describe the Buddhist Temple.

Magical.

The front gate has the gaping maw of a dragon carved into its center, its cracked paint peeling and fading from centuries of toil. Trying not to trip over any loose pebbles like a dumbass, I follow Lucas under the curved arch and into the greenery beyond.

It almost feels like stepping into a scene from a fairytale story.

Like walking back a thousand years in time.

Thankfully, Lucas seems to have this place memorized by the back of hand. Bare oak trees wrap around the side of the crumbling cobbled stone path. Snow hasn't fallen in this part of Onett, so here the grassy hills are green, sprinkled with an odd yellow blossom or two. There's something oddly relaxing about this place, I note, watching a sparkling butterfly flutter past with the sound of windchimes.

It almost makes you forget that there's a graveyard next door.

Suddenly, the flowers in my hands and our formal attire take on a whole different meaning in this place.

At a winding turn in-between two hills, Lucas hesitates. His eyes flicker back to mine uncertainly as if he's second-guessing himself. As if he's suddenly realized how weird this request  _maybe might've_  sounded out loud. But I latch onto his hand and give it an encouraging squeeze because this isn't weird at all, because I know that he's trusting me with one of his most guarded secrets.

We continue on.

The wooden signpost catches our attention first. Looped around it with string, a shimmering scroll with dark painted characters flutters in the breeze.

Then the temple looms over our heads like a second sky, its roof studded with crimson and gold tiles. Each of its doorless entrances, flanked by pillars as wide as the ancient oaks we passed, are so tall that one of them could fit probably five Bowsers stacked together and have room for Ganondorf.

Inside the temple, a shallow stone ledge surrounds the giant golden statue. The plump, smiling face of Buddha gazes upon us, his sacred features crinkled and old and wise.

Once I stop gawking at Buddha and hurry inside, Lucas is already up and about. From the stone ledge, Lucas plucks out three super thin, dry-looking BBQ skewers from a container before he lights each of their tips on fire. Then I catch a whiff of a calming scent, and realize that no, those aren't ordinary barbeque skewers - they're sticks of incense.

"My mom's grave is outside," Lucas says softly, and I jump when his voice slices through the silence like a butter knife. Lucas doesn't notice, poking the three incense candles into a ceremonious incense burner before placing the small pot back onto the stone ledge. When a flurry of motion catches the corner of my eye, I notice that another family is here on the other side of Smiling Statue Buddha. They're respectfully kneeling in front of a portrait of the recently deceased ( _I'm guessing_ ) and taking turns participating in what looks like some traditional funeral rite. I wonder if Lucas will follow their example, but instead, after lighting the scented candles, Lucas tugs on my hand, leading me outside. When the sudden sunlight pokes into my eyes, I squint into the cloudless sky and wait for my vision to settle.

Then I see it.

Behind the Temple, rows of gravestones dot the grass, peacefully spiraling around the winding hills.

Quietly again, Lucas takes the lead.

I follow.

I don't know how long we've walked through the swaying grass. But when Lucas finally stops at one, without looking, I know whose it is. The words inscribed on the old, faded headstone are still legible.

Gently crouching down, Lucas brushes the dust off the gravestone. "Hi, mom. I brought a friend today."

Oh damn.

Shit.

This brings a lump to my throat.

"Uh, hi," I choke. I thought I was ready... or as ready as I was gonna be. I had this entire fucking speech prepared for Lucas's dad. I had this entire schedule of stuff to do and stuff not to do, things that I shouldn't say and things I should say, but nothing's prepared me for  _this._

Suddenly, it just hits me out of the blue: I have no idea what to say to Lucas's dead mom.

And as stupid as it sounds, standing before her grave, I can feel her judging me for having nothing to say.

I feel underdressed.

Underprepared.

"I brought flowers," I mumble, hastily setting the bright bouquet in front of the gravestone and willing myself not to well up because this is  _Lucas's dead mom holy fucking shit_ , and Lucas's eyes don't even look a bit wet. "Sorry, I didn't bring anything nicer."

"She likes sunflowers," Lucas affirms, but I'm not sure if he's just saying this to make me feel better. Instead, he tugs out something from his pocket and unfolds it. "That's my mom," he says, watching me apprehensively as if to gauge my reaction before showing me her photo, and I can't help but catch the slight crack in his voice.

Though I saw the same picture of his mom on his mantelpiece before, I'm having a hard time trying to swallow down that lump in my throat. "She sounds like a kind person," I manage, because she really does.

Evidently, it's the right thing to say.

Lucas relaxes. "We never found her body," he says softly, re-folding the photograph and tucking it gingerly back into his pocket. "She died in a car accident a couple years ago. I remember that the truck that hit her was green." A pause. "If she were alive, I'm sure she would've liked you," he adds quietly, and fuck, this is tearing my heart apart.

My eyes rest on the bouquet of flowers. For some damn reason, one of the sunflowers looks irregularly cut; its stem is so short that it's practically nonexistent. Without thinking, I pick the flawed sunflower out. Its vibrant petals rest against my palm before I close my hands around it and tuck it back into my jacket, because the least I could do is give Lucas's mom a perfect bouquet of perfect flowers.

We keep Lucas's mom company for a little longer.

When the sun pales into late afternoon, slowly, I tug on Lucas's hand. Wordlessly, without much resistance, he lets me lead him through the temple and back onto the hilly stone path.

Before I know it, we're sitting under the canopy of the local ice cream parlor and hanging out like normal.

But Lucas visibly looks a lot happier after the trip, and when I sit across from him, I can't help but wonder how long he's waited to do this. I wonder how many times he's thought about introducing me to his mom, how many times he worried himself to sleep over the thought of sharing a hidden part of himself to someone else, how many times he felt afraid of this trip turning into a source of public ridicule. In a weird way, I feel like I've just passed a test of trust without knowing that there  _was_  one.

And it's a pretty awesome feeling.

"Thanks for introducing me to your mom," I murmur, and Lucas stuns me by reaching for my hand and squeezing it back in return. Out in public. Where anyone can see us. Holy fucking shit. The action is subtle, but definitely purposeful. Suddenly, I'm starting to see more of the Lucas beneath his snarky shell. His shoulders seem way more relaxed. He's giving into more of those secret smiles when I talk, and his features look a shade softer.

I wonder if he's even aware that he's holding my hand.

Realizing a weight in my pocket, I carefully unpocket the sunflower and roll it back over my hands. Its soft petals splay over my palms. Instinctively, overcome by nostalgia, I nudge Lucas in the arm to grab his attention before poking the sunflower into his hair - just like I've done for Tracy a thousand times. With a pleased hum, Lucas lets me tuck the short stem behind his ear.

I pull back with a grin, satisfied by my work. "Now I'll  _LEAF_  you alone."

"Your puns  _STEM_  from a severe lack of humor," he quips off the bat.

"Well then I might as well go all the way.  _PETAL_  to the medal."

Then Lucas runs his fingers through his hair, sliding the sunflower off, and I protest when I realize what he's planning to do.

"Flowers look horrible on me," I say miserably.

Lucas frowns. "Sunflowers are badass," he says stubbornly instead. His cool fingers brush against my cheek when he weaves the sunflower into a loose thread on the bill of my hat, and I can't help but break into a smile of my own.

"Do I look more badass now?" I chirp, batting my eyelashes in an exaggerated fashion, and Lucas rolls his eyes.

"Oh, I don't know, Ness. You're implying that you were badass to  _begin_  with."

"Why you, c'mere-" I furiously reach for his head. Lucas ducks out of the way, pushing his chair aside when I clamor after him for bruising my dignity. Just as I round the corner of the street though, I catch up, bumping straight into Lucas's back because he's skidded to a halt. With a triumphant laugh, I grab him down by the hand. "Ha, gotcha-"

Then around his back, I catch sight of what Lucas is staring at.

My blood goes cold.

It's Flint.

From across the other side of the crosswalk, under the brim of his wide hat, Lucas's dad stares at us. He must be on his way to the temple, because he's clutching a sunflower of his own. But none of this really registers, because I notice Flint's eyes flitting from the sunflower in my hat down to our held hands. Very quickly, I let go.

Oh.

Fuck.

Lucas has frozen into a still statue. For a couple of seconds, father and son stare each other down. There's this hard, impassive look in Flint's eyes that ties my stomach into knots and makes the hairs on my arms stand on end.

Then whirling around, Lucas grabs my hand and  _drags_  me along in the opposite direction.

This was not how I wanted to meet Lucas's dad.

"Lucas, wait-" I try, but when he doesn't listen, I take hold of his wrist and dig my feet into the ground. "Hey, stop, you're hurting me."

As if finally realizing my words, Lucas abruptly lets go. But his knuckles have turned white, and his face impossibly paler.

"I need to go home. I'll talk to you later," he says hoarsely.

"Lucas, I can tell him that we're just friends-"

"Later, Ness."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

 **Nuss 5:30PM, Jan 2**  
Lucas? is everything ok  
if ur dad wants an explaination i can go and tell him it was a misunderstanding

 **Nuss 8:14PM, Jan 2**  
LYou kno u can always crash at my place anytie  
my sis ter loves u  
an my mom wouldnt mind

 **Nuss 6:10AM, Jan 6  
** im sorry

 **Lookas**   **12** **:01AM, Jan 7**  
Ness, stop texting me. I can't talk to you right now  
I'll see you at work

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

I haven't talked to Lucas since.

From time to time, my empathy link faintly flares up, but Lucas closes up whenever I try to prod. And while I'm worried sick, I know that stepping in now would only make things worse on Lucas's end. The bottom line is pretty clear.

Lucas is in trouble with his dad.

Tossing and turning in my sheets, I find myself fiddling with the withered sunflower on my cap. As if it could offer reassurance. As if it could turn back time. As if it could erase the past week from my brain because holy shit did I screw up big time.

 _Sleep,_  I tell myself.

I can't.

_Go to sleep._

I would if I could.

This is my train of thought until 11:30 pm turns into 2 am. Thinking isn't getting me anywhere. Not when it's a constant feedback loop of WHAT SHOULD I DO I DUNNO WHAT TO DO →  _But Jeff Might_  → IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME TO PANIC → I HONESTLY DUNNO WHAT TO DO →  _But Jeff Might._

Then I decide that enough is enough. I jump out of bed and swipe my laptop off the bedstand.

...After checking the time on the other side.

And after lowering my voice to a hush because Tracy's sleeping, and I have no desire to be grounded by my mom for calling someone so late at night.

Thank god, the Skype call goes through. Relieved when the video screen lights up, I start off the convo with a classic "Jeef."

"Hey, Ness. Tony got your text last month. You made him really happy about your movie date."

"I did?" To prove his point, an exasperated Jeff lifts his laptop into the air with a free hand, and then I hear an ecstatic yell filter through the receiver. I can't help but give into a small grin at that. "Just kidding. I stand corrected."

"Sounds like everything worked out for you in the end," Jeff agrees absentmindedly, rummaging for something out of sight, and I wonder if he's working on some other ghastly contraption. Something squeaks as if Jeff is screwing off a rusty nail off-screen. "Ness, it's kinda, uh, late on your side. Are you well?"

"Not really, no," I admit, flopping back onto my bed. Of their own restless accord, my fingers play with the brim of my cap. "I want advice."

"Sure, I can pass my laptop to Tony-"

"Actually... I want  _your_  advice."

"On?"

"How to treat a closeted person."

The sound of construction stops. Jeff slowly sidles back into view. "Any specifics?" he says cautiously, and frustrated over what to say, I run my fingers through my hair in agitation.

"Just... anything, I guess. What to expect and stuff. It's not like... well, dating him is gonna be a bit different, and you know that better than anyone."

Stuff squeaks on the other line. Yeaaaah, Jeff is back to working on his project again. "It's going to be an uphill battle, Ness. There's gonna be a lot of times Lucas's closet is gonna test your patience, but well, you  _did_  sign up for it-"

"I'll wait for as long as it takes-"

"It might take a long time, Ness-"

"-but his dad walked into us holding hands a couple days ago."

An angry  ** _NANI_**  erupts from... whatever furry Netflix anime Tony is watching avidly in the living room.

Jeff breathes out. "Uh-oh."

"Yeah."

"How is Lucas holding up?"

"I don't know. I mean, I told him he could crash at my place if he had to, but he hasn't showed up since..."

"You did the right thing. You offered him help and support - now stand back and let him decide if he needs it," Jeff says firmly, but uncertain, my stomach roils unpleasantly at the thought.

"He just told me that he'll see me at work, Jeff. He hasn't texted me anything else. I want to check on him before I leave, but I don't wanna drive a wedge between him and his dad and make things worse."

From the Skype screen in his bedroom, Jeff stops screwing on a nail onto his deconstructed wardrobe and places his tools aside. "I don't pretend to know Lucas half as well as you do, and - don't take this the wrong way, Ness - I'm really happy that you two figured out your feelings for each other. But blood runs pretty thick. If his dad pressures him too hard, Lucas might end up hiding deeper into the closet."

"Lucas wouldn't make promises that he couldn't uphold," I protest.

"Ness, I'm not saying that your judgement is wrong. But it's easy to get tunnel vision when you like someone, and I want to make sure that you don't end up liking someone who might choose someone else's needs over yours. Your needs are also important for the relationship to work out. Like I told Paula last time we met-"

"Paula? What does she have to do with this?"

"You two tend to be more rash and emotionally inclined with your decision-making-"

"Am not!" At this, Jeff snorts, and I give a sheepish grin. "Okay, so maybe I am. But you still haven't answered my question-"

"Again, not in my place to tell." Seeing that I am  _very maturely_  sticking out my tongue at the response, Jeff spares me a sad smile and eases on the edge. "Ness, I just want you to remember that as much as you like Lucas, you also deserve someone who cares for you as much as you care for them," he says gently. "Take it from someone who used to be closeted. It shames me to admit the truth, but when Tony and I started dating... I didn't treat him right. I had other priorities over our relationship. We never talked things through, and things... fell apart. We broke up, because Tony put more of himself into the relationship than I did. I just don't want you to get hurt in the same way. I don't want you to bite off more than you can chew, and I don't want you to end up resenting Lucas for circumstances out of his control."

My vision turns watery. I knew it. Someone's cutting the damn onions in my room again.

 _"_ _DID YOU JUST HURT NESS'S FEELINGS?_ " another voice cries out before the appalled person himself shows up on screen to give Jeff a scowl. "Bad Jeff. Very bad-"

"Tony, I'm only telling it as I see it. You previously expressed your concerns that the relationship might be too one-sided-"

"But that was then, now is now. It sounds like Lucas is willing to communicate what he wants, so cut Ness some slack. Geez Jeff, you could've been a little better with the delivery. You were rather blunt-"

"Was I really?"

Tony's disapproval lightens up. "Just a tad."

Oh god no, now Jeff sounds worried. He cranes his neck over to the screen. "Did my words upset you? That wasn't my intention, Ness-"

"I know, I know," I mumble, blinking the stinging sensation away. When Jeff looks guilty, I manage a smile and hastily rub at my eyes with my sleeves. "I don't want to expect anything, I really don't, but it's hard not to hope when things had been going so well-"

"Then you have little to worry about," Jeff says softly. "Look, I'm not trying to frighten you off. I only told you this because you're my friend. That means I want you to know what to expect if things happen to head south, because I want you to be prepared. Ness, I just... all I'm trying to say is... be careful about falling in love with a closeted boy. His closet might end up being more important than you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wen da author kno someting da reader dun know
> 
> ┐(￣u￣)┌
> 
> my current mood on this cahptpebleh
> 
> Ness's dreams about Claus finally make a return  
> hooray for slow plot progression! and yes falcon and solid snake are both shorter than samus. go figure. SAMUS IS A TOL LAEDEE
> 
> A03 is ruining my text format for the phone texts, so I got rid of the italics orz


	28. Adding Fuel to the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas tries to reason with his father.

Early on New Years Eve, we took the time for some well-needed deliberation. Ironically unknown by the masses, we were finally dating, and anything that happened after today could bring our friendship flat on our faces.

We talked over many things: all the boring, the confusing, and the awkward. The nature of our relationship. Our personal boundaries.

My closet.

"The press thinks that we're dating, but you don't want your dad to know that we are for real-" Ness anxiously rattles off his fingers. "Lucas, I know you want to stay undercover from your dad, and that's totally fine, but we shouldn't lie in public. If you try to cover things up, and the paparazzi find out, it'll just blow up into a bigger scandal-"

"I know, I need to talk to my dad without blowing up the press," I say wearily.

Neither of us made much leeway.

But by mid-afternoon, clear rules were set, and careful plans were spoken. As roommates, many were redundant, and most were just common sense, but Link was right - good communication would hopefully prevent unnecessary conflict later on.

After the New Years fireworks, I would go home and gauge my father's reaction. On the unlikely event that his response to the shipping scandal was favorable, we would seek his blessing on Ness's behalf.

On the likelihood that his reception was sour, things would get a little complicated. Assuring my dad that the scandal was media propaganda, I'd do my best to gradually ease him into the idea of accepting Ness into the family before introducing him to our relationship. Until then, I would still stay "closeted." Partially. For now. We'd agreed to let most of the Smashers know that we were dating if asked, only because they already ironically believed we were in a relationship, but on the outside, we'd lay low under media attention and do our best to avoid incurring my father's wrath.

Ness is right. We shouldn't lie to the press... but that didn't mean we were obligated to tell them the truth. The press would gossip and slander no matter what we did.

On one hand, I'm relieved that we finally have a game plan.

On the other, I feel like I'm trapped inside a pressure cooker. I'd refused to resort to lying, so it was imperative that I come up with a convincing cover to win over my dad. At my own request, Ness agreed to listen to me rehearse, but either way, talking to my dad wasn't going to be easy.

"You're rambling. Back up and start from the beginning," Ness says patiently when I freeze up yet a second time. He's nice enough not to point it out, but he knows that I'm nervous. And rightfully so.

After what seems like the hundredth time, my shoulders slump over miserably. "I don't know, Ness. I'm not sure I can pull this off."

"Sure you can-"

"You've already helped me for an hour, and I've gotten nowhere." I rub my eyes. "He'll see through anything I say. There's no point in trying."

Clearly displeased, Ness frowns at me, as if he's sensed my negativity and decided that it's a horrible blight on the world.

So he remedies it with the only solution he has.

Horrible puns.

" _I love you, my gay son_ ," he says in the gruffest voice possible.

"My dad doesn't speak like that-"

" _I LUV U EVEN IF UR UBER GAY. OR LYFT GAY. I DON'T DISCRIMINATE. UR GAY LUCAS AND DAT'S OKAY."_  When I can't stop my mouth from twitching upward at his stupid pun, Ness instantly jumps up from his seat to burst out into a loud crow of triumph. "OH, you grinned!" he yells, pointing at me. "I saw it-"

"Must've been the trick of the light," I say innocently. "Or maybe your eyes are going bad."

"Trick of the light, my ass. Show yourself, _Lucas's smile-_ " Ness flits around now, eagerly trying to pop into my face. When I swivel away in my seat, covering my grin, he tries to pry both of my hands away. "Ha, see?! I know it's there, you can't hide from me, you lil fucker-"

"I don't smile-" I protest.

He playfully jabs a finger into my face. "Uhuh. Then what's that on your face?"

"That's my nose, you smarmy git."

Trying not to laugh his ass off, Ness wraps me into a giant hug, an impossibly wide smile growing on his face. "I love you," he says earnestly, looking up at me with the sappiest eyes possible. If I got paid for every time Ness has said  _I love you_  to me for the past month, I'd be debt-free.

But he's succeeded in lifting my spirits, and he knows it.

I lightly poke him in the head. "Hey, we still need to practice. Help me rehearse from the top."

"But your dad already wants to shoot me dead with an - ow, _oww_ ," he yelps when I poke him more furiously in the shoulder until he loosens his hold, only for him to pull me over by the forearms. "Okay Imma kiss you now."

"Wait-" Grinning like a loon, Ness miscalculates our height difference and ends up faceplanting into the collar of my t-shirt instead. "-Ness, slow down, you're stepping on my foot-" Like the impatient, hyperactive boi he is, Ness hastily re-adjusts himself, accidentally poking his nose into my chest. Fed up with him blundering around and smacking his forehead into my chin, I hold him down by the shoulders. "I told you to  _wait,"_ I say, exasperated, but not before the overexcited git hops up to lick me on the tip of my nose.

Yeah... communication.

We're working on it.

Fastforward to New Years, after I wave Ness's mom goodbye for the ride home and crash into bed, I breathe in, because this winter break has only reminded me that there's still someone Ness has yet to meet. Someone precious to me. Someone whom I've always wanted Ness to know, even from long ago.

But when Ness texts me, it washes away any of my lingering doubts.

I've waited nine years.

It's about time.

 **Nuss 10:24PM**  
my mom's back  
did u get home safe

 **Lookas**   **10:31PM  
** I di d thanks

 **Nuss 10:31PM**  
HOORAY  
UR ALIVE :D

 **Lookas**   **10:31PM**  
Actually  
wait

 **Nuss 10:31PM  
** wats up

I exhale. Though none-too-pleased over my explanation about the media blowing things out of proportion, dad's given me the benefit of the doubt. I know that he's going to be out at work all day tomorrow. He wanted me to visit mom too, so I might as well bring Ness along. Take extra care to avoid the paparazzi while we're at it.

What dad won't know couldn't hurt him.

My fingers return to my phone.

 **Lookas**   **10:32PM**  
I think imready  
Wanna introduce you to my family.

* * *

.

.

.

_~ **Chapter Twenty-Eight** ~_

_**Adding Fuel to the Fire** _

.

.

.

* * *

I spend the rest of the day loitering around the empty baseball field.

It's a pretty futile attempt to avoid the inevitable, but I try to convince myself otherwise. That I'm not scared. That I'm using the next few hours as a buffer. That I'm giving my dad time to compose himself, that he'll hopefully cool down somewhat for me to explain. But when the sun goes down and the street lights flicker on, I've run out of excuses to justify myself.

So, awkwardly shuffling up the stairs, I unlock the front door and push my way in.

Then halt.

Because the whole place is a mess.

Shirts are strewn everywhere. My clothes. Unnerved, I catch what looks like my wardrobe in the living room, its contents and drawers dumped unceremoniously over the couch. When a sharp sound startles me to rear back my foot, a heavy glass bottle slowly rolls across the floor, empty and spent, but it's impossible because dad's a man of self control. Even though his company offers employees free drinks at the end of the day, my dad never partakes in the privilege. He never drinks...

Not unless he's upset.

With rising trepidation, my eyes follow the trail of wreckage to the familiar hunched figure bent over the wooden kitchen table.

Without saying a single word, my father folds up his newspaper before tossing something onto the kitchen table... Several somethings. They're each about the size of a postcard. When I recognize the gleaming squares, my blood turns cold.

They're photos.

High-res, printed, colored photos of me and Ness over winter break. Leaning against each other at the movies. Trying out samples in AsiaTown. Walking up the stairs of the condo holding hands.

Where did he get these?

Underneath the brim of his cowboy hat, my dad gives me a long, hard stare.

"You have five minutes to explain."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

My dad burns them all in the old fireplace.

The striped shirt Ness left behind last month. The rock collection we gathered in 4th grade. All the photo albums from our tournaments, all the tokens from our subspace adventures. All the mementos I collected over the years.

All of our letters.

Gone.

The smoke stings my eyes. The living room hisses with a shower of embers, but I force my eyes open to watch my memories go up in smoke. The blue fire licks each letter, devouring the white paper into ash. Shriveling up from the heat, the corners of the letters curl up, blacken, and die. Beside me, my father dumps over the last drawer from my desk and scrapes out a wayward letter wedged between the hinges.

I hold my breath. It's got to be over. We're not allowed to use the fireplace because the chimney hasn't been cleaned for years. He's got to stop unless he wants to trigger the smoke alarm.

Dad stops to appraise me.

Then to my dismay, he reaches for the crumpled ball of paper hidden in my pockets, but my fists involuntarily clench around it. I spent a good week reading over this letter when it arrived in the post. I have every word down. It's my favorite one.

I can almost hear Ness's voice speaking in fractured parts and pieces.

**_Dear Lucas,_ **

**_Melee is super awesome! Last week, Samus showed me how to punch sandbag right in the face. And yesterday, Captain Falcon taught me how to "scream like a man"!_ **

"Hand it over."

The kitchen floor feels cold against my toes.

Shaking my head, I clamp my mouth shut and stubbornly keep my fists closed, because this letter's worth more than anything, because the worth of this letter is irreplaceable.

But even that isn't enough.

With a wrench, my dad rips the wayward letter in his hands into two, tearing an ugly jagged line into the paper and splitting it into uneven halves. The fire blazes, reflecting off my dad's eyes as he looks at the remaining letter in my hands. From the mad expression on his face, I know that he's past forgiveness, that the situation is beyond saving, that my dad won't stop to listen to rhyme or reason.

_**I'm not sure if the last part really helped, but training here has definitely made me strong.** _

"Don't make me force you," he says quietly, and the warning makes all the hairs on my neck stand on end. My dad's never punished me without good reason, never disciplined me without fair judgement, but I don't want to push him over the edge. I know better than to test his temper. My brother took after his impulsiveness after all.

I don't think I've ever seen him with such an angry look on his face.

**_But I bet you've gotten a lot stronger too._ **

_"Give it here, Lucas."_

I tighten my grip on the very last letter, but my hands are shaking so badly like they do whenever I'm nervous or scared, and I hate it when they do that, I hate that my knees are knocking and my shoulders are threatening to shrink, because this letter's mine by every right, because this letter holds more importance than anything else I have left.

For better or for worse, this is a piece of me that my dad can't take away.

 _**One day, I bet you'll grow even stronger than me. And that's okay! We can be strong together.** _ _**Just don't get WAY too strong. I won't be able to catch up to you!** _

My dad's shadow looms over the kitchen wall.

_**Lucas, you're my bestest friend.** _

The fireplace sputters and dies.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

I'm grounded.

I have no idea for how long.

I'm not allowed to use magic. I'm not allowed to leave the house or answer the door. My dad's taken away my keys, phone, and laptop. He does let me check my email on his computer, but only under his strict supervision.

Every night, he sits me down in the kitchen. We try to talk, but he's not ready to listen.

We make no progress.

Afterwards, he trudges over to the couch, loops his belt back around his hands, and quietly watches the floor sulking in denial. Other times, he stares holes into my back until I limp back to my room.

The third night, he speaks up from his cold shoulder. "You're not going back to the tournament."

It's ridiculous. He knows that my income is the only thing keeping our family free from Porky's clutches.

But when my dad looks deadly serious over his threat, I reluctantly yield, retracting my complaints. I'm only a minor at sixteen. As my parent and guardian, he has the right to sign and renew my application for the next season. If I can quietly slip back to his good graces, if I can endure just a little longer under his roof... then I might at least convince him to send me back to the tournament.

Because if he takes that chance away from me, then I might never see Ness again.

My hands are tied.

So bitterly, I abide to his wishes. I let him vent. I say nothing whenever he pokes unfounded holes into Ness's character. I don't stand up for myself whenever he rebukes me for escalating the situation, for leaving to a fighting tournament only to spark a shameful scandal, for forsaking my own grief over Claus's absence for perverted desires, for frolicking around my mother's gravestone without shame like it was a fucking playground - that I should've known better than to have wasted my mother's precious sacrifice on letting Ness string me along like a goddamn fag.

Though I try not to take them too personally, his words whittle down my confidence. I've never had much of a self-esteem, because it's so much easier to stand up for other people than to stand up for myself.

But I do my best to take it like a man.

From time to time, I feel Ness prod me through our empathy link, but I withdraw from his tendril of worry. I don't trust my own composure completely, and the last thing I want Ness to feel is my dad's emotional backlash through me. Then I think of Ness's letters, and my chest aches. That night had ended with my dad storming outside to cool his head, leaving me behind to sweep the remaining ashes off the floor. The second his heavy footsteps faded across the catwalk, I'd scrambled for the last burning letter, my fingers already reaching for the charred piece of paper before forgetting to quench the fireplace.

But by then, it was too late. The damage had been done.

I lost all of Ness's letters.

Regret prickles the blisters on my hands.

The nights progressively get no better. On the fourth night, his brow caving into a thunderous furrow, my dad calls me into the kitchen and slams my phone onto the counter.

"He keeps texting you. Tell him to stop."

So I do.

Though when my dad isn't looking over my shoulder, I add in a quick "I'll see you at work" as an afterthought and delete the text record before handing back my phone.

Dad checks my phone. He isn't amused by the missing messages.

I keep my attitude in check after that.

A whole week sluggishly passes by.

On the eighth night, just like every other night before, my dad calls me back into the kitchen again, stoic-faced and waiting to discipline me with the belt in hand. But this time, he's agitated. I can tell from the slight indent of his mouth.

"Sit," he says.

In an act of defiance, I take the farthest seat away from him.

"Back in my day, a good father was expected to take his son to the barn out back... and keep beating the gay out of him until he turned straight again. It was the right thing to do. The reasonable thing to do." A pause. "The  _normal_  thing to do." Tightening the belt loop in his hands until his knuckles turn white, he gives me a look, his forehead creasing into a subtle hint of a puzzled frown. "But it's not working on you, is it."

Because that's not how it works, dad.

My father's shoulders sag. To my surprise, he tosses the belt away from his hands. It clatters onto the kitchen table between us with an echo that deafens my ears.

He seems to have lost some steam.

"How long are you going to behave like this?" he finally says tiredly. "Son, I don't know much about these things... but the men at work talk. They say that your friend's a fag, but that at least he's a white fag. Most everyone here likes a white fag... because they'll judge you by the color of your skin and not just by who you court. They say nasty things about you, son. They say that you're weak. They say that you're less than a man. They say that you're his clone, even though you're none of these things." My dad rakes his eyes over photos on the mantelpiece. His voice turns gruff. "Lucas, I loved your mother, but she had a hard time proving herself to ignorant folks outside of Tazmily, even as a strong capable woman herself. You on the other hand... You're capable, but you're not strong. You'll crack under pressure. You can't be a fag. You're a man, not a goddamn woman. Cut him off. It'll only end in trouble for you."

My mouth tightens involuntarily. "..."

Dad lowers his drink with a sigh. I can almost smell the disappointment on his breath. "When did you turn into such a bitter person?!"

Oh I don't know, dad. You tell me.

"You tarnish your mother's memory."

Well I wouldn't know, considering that she's kinda dead.

"He's not Claus."

You're right, he's not Claus.

But he's family.

You can't make me choose between family.

"Does he make you that happy?"

"..."

Dad hangs his head. "I've got the debt covered... so stay out of my goddamn business," he says quietly. "Leave. Renew your contract on the roster. Don't let me catch you here again, or I'll make you regret it."

"Dad-"

"Come back when you're ready to be my son."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

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.

.

 ** **Lookas**   **2** **:21AM, Jan 10****  
Ness, all clear  
my dad gave my phone and laptop back.  
Are you awake?

 **Nuss 2:32AM, Jan 10**  
yholy fuck  
are you ok?!

 ** **Lookas**   **2** **:32AM, Jan 10****  
Yeah  
Dad didn't take the news too well, so I'm giving him space  
I might have to crash at your place tonight though  
sorry

 **Nuss 2:32AM, Jan 10**  
dude wtf r u apologizing 4  
fuck that

 ** **Lookas**   **2** **:32AM, Jan 10  
**** When are you leaving?

 **Nuss 2:33AM, Jan 10  
** im flying out at 10 am

 ** **Lookas**   **2** **:33AM, Jan 10****  
I promise I'll leave in the morning  
It's just for tonight

 **Nuss 2:33AM, Jan 10**  
but we can take the same sktrain together since u left ur bag here last week, lemme check the flight for empty seats wHAT THE FUCK  
UH  
EXCUSE ME  
DID I HEAR YOU RIGHT  
no  
shut up and listen you  
come crash rn and stay for as long as u need to  
das an order btw  
srsly my mom will flay me alive if u dont, shes been worried sick about u this week  
do u need me to teleport u over? just gimme five to dress

 ** **Lookas**   **2** **:34AM, Jan 10****  
Nah I'm taking the red line  
omw

 **Nuss 2:34AM, Jan 10**  
oh no  
plz dont get mugged

 ** **Lookas**   **2** **:34AM, Jan 10****  
Thanks Ness  
dw I won't

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Around three in the morning, Ness opens the door.

Under the dim glow of his porch light, we stare at each other. He's in dorky Pokemon boxers and bunny slippers, and had this been any other time, I might've laughed.

His eyes look red-rimmed and puffy.

My throat dry, I avert my eyes from his pointed glare, and uncomfortably fiddle with the straps of my backpack. "It wasn't your fault, dad was bound to have figured it out sooner or later-"

Then Ness tackles me, his weight knocking us backwards against the wooden railing of his porch. His shoulders are shaking so hard that I can't make out what he's saying... if he's even saying anything at all. But even without words, Ness's obvious message hits home.

I am wanted.

I am loved.

Suddenly, I'm struggling to keep my own breathing under control, but Ness just squeezes me around the waist, like he already knows. He puts a lot into the hug, his fingers already at work and pouring pulses of magic through his fingertips in comforting waves. While the sensation feels almost euphoric after feeling so numb for so long, I gently push him away because I'm fine, I'm really okay, and he doesn't need to spend so much energy on something I've already put behind me.

But Ness refuses to budge when I do try to pry him off, stubbornly clinging onto me tighter. In response, his fingers pour out magic faster in desperate droves, as if he's pouring out his heart and soul into wishing me to feel better.

So I let him pamper me for a little longer when he mumbles incoherent words under his breath, rubbing soothing circles into my back, and I relax because it really has been a long week.

"I love you," Ness says suddenly, eyes roaming my face almost as if searching for an answer. He clutches onto me tighter. "I love you," he tries again. Oddly enough, his voice sounds so small. The empty silence of the night threatens to swallow it up. It's so unlike Ness to be anything but loud and enthusiastic, and it suddenly reminds me of the day he drunkenly confessed his feelings.

He's been through a rough week too, I realize.

I gently brush against his mind, and try to put my own feelings into words. "I'm sorry."

Scrunching his eyes shut, Ness presses the top of his head into my chest and hugs me close.

He doesn't say anything else after that.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ends on the same night we last saw Ness. Lucas feelsbadman and apologizes.
> 
> Unfortunately, those weren't the words Ness wanted to hear...
> 
> Readers should note that there's a fine line between corporal punishment and abuse, and that this line has different standards across different cultures/households. While modern Japan is becoming more critical of corporal punishment ("taibatsu"), assuming Tazmily is a rural Japanese village, I imagine that they discipline their children through the tradition of "tatakinaosu," or "beating their children into line" (as is prevalent in many Asian countries). And assuming that Onett is a small isolated town that slowly developed into a suburban city over the years, I'd like to imagine that its inhabitants have less exposure to other ideas and are more close-minded in comparison to those in Smash City, which is a global interdimensional metropolitan. Furthermore, "Belting" was/is a common method of corporal punishment for boys in several countries (i.e. Russia, etc).
> 
> While I usually write a more caring Flint, in the case of this particular AU, I made a HUGE stretch on Flint's character based on the how stoic he seems in the canon-verse, on how he lashed out against his fellow villagers in his grief/fury when his wife died, and on the last few quotes he says to Lucas in game right before the battle against masked man -
> 
> "Geez, you're persistent.  
> You're wondering about my hair, aren't you?  
> That's right.  
> I'm bald as a bean.  
> What's that? "Bald as a bean" is a dumb way  
> of putting it?!  
> When did you become such a bitter person?!  
> Talking to me like this isn't very nice.  
> Quit it!"
> 
> Though the above was intended for humor, and supports Lucas's characterization as a snark, the last few lines catch my attention: Perhaps it's the Japanese-to-English translation, perhaps it's the context of the situation, but what parent calls their own child bitter? That's not a nice thing to say.
> 
> While Flint's behavior towards Lucas in this chapter shouldn't be condoned, readers should understand that in Flint's generation (or at least, in the context of this modern world AU), same-sex relationships were highly frowned upon. Especially after growing up in the "deep south" where social norms for men are more strongly imposed from childhood, shitpostfic!Flint refuses to accept his son, because he thinks that homosexuality is a choice. This stigma also applies to Ness's father in this fic, who felt pressured to remain closeted even after marriage. Ignorance breeds discrimination, and Flint (ironically) reflects that in this chapter.
> 
> And - Flint's name derives from the "flintlock gun" - very fitting in this au as he owns a rifle.


	29. I Circle C for CATastrophe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two boyes take a Standardized Exam.

"There are 59 questions in the Critical Reading section. You are not allowed to revisit the previous section or flip forward into the next section-"

Over Marth's recitation, I glance over at Lucas, but slumped over in his chair, he's looking as brain-dead as I am. Behind him, Toon picks up his Number 2 pencil, so I do the same.

"You have seventy-five minutes to complete this section. Your time starts... now."

* * *

.

.

.

~ _ **Chapter Twenty-Nine**_ ~

_**I Circle C for CATastrophe** _

.

.

.

* * *

Yep.

You called it.

Marth finally cornered us.

"The Fantastical Interdimensional Standardized Test is more than three months away," he beams, rummaging for his sign up sheet just as Lucas and I arrive at the Mansion lobby with our suitcases. "If you do well on their actual entrance exam, you can get merit scholarships from Smash Uni. I'm proctoring a practice exam tomorrow, you're not too late to sign up for it-"

After watching him spew out SMASH Uni pamphlets like some exotic bird of paradise, we eventually cave under his insistence to take the practice exam.

"You'd think it's his life goal to stuff more students into school and churn out depressed zombies," I grumble as Lucas halfheartedly returns Marth's enthusiastic wave.

"We could've said no," suggests Lucas, and I sigh because I know that he's right, but how could I say  _no_  to Marth when he looked desperate for people? For heaven's sake, I only saw one other people on the list. Figures that Toon Link would be a nerd.

The  _F.I.S.T._  is a LONG exam. It has four sections: Math, English, History, and Science. Each section has 59 questions and is 75 min long. Max score is 500 in each section, which totals to a whopping 2000 max cumulative score.

It's okay if you didn't catch any of that. Just picture any old standardized exam. The SAT, ACT, TOEFL, whatever. Yeah.

Now triple the bore factor.

Basically, all you need to know is that the whole exam SUCKS.

But though I DID sign up for the  _F.I.S.T.,_  knowing that the whole test was gonna be a waste of my time... who said that I was gonna  _TRY?_

Believe me, I don't expect to do too well _,_  considering that halfway through the critical reading section, I dozed off and ended up bubbling 'C' for the rest of the answers with barely seconds to spare. But in the next morning, I'm surprised to see that Marth has actually nailed the list of scores on his apartment door. It's hard not to notice, because there's already this crowd of curious people pointing at the scoreboard and crowding the hallway.

Damn, a lot more people must've signed up for the exam after we did.

"I've finally achieved the true meaning of life," Popo says, wiping a tear from his eye. He looks incredibly pleased of himself amidst the hullabaloo.

.

~oOo~

.

**SCORE GUIDELINES FOR EACH SECTION**

**500 :** Exceptional

 **400s :** Demonstrates advanced mastery of material

 **300s :** Has a solid foundation

 **200s :** Adequate

 **100s :** Poor

 **Less than 100 :** Absymal

**F.I.S.T. SCORE REPORT (COMPOSITE)**

**Toon Link** :  _ **1210**_  (breakdown: 330M_310E_160H_410S)

 **Ness** :  _ **1100**  _(breakdown: 470M_170E_230H_240S)

 **Villager** **:**   ** _93_** _ **0**_  (breakdown: 210M_430E_30H_260S)

 **Mega Man** :  _ **N/A**_ (breakdown: 500M_10E_30H_320S)_ **SYSTEM** **ERROR_**

 **Nana :**  _ **83**_ _ **0**_  (breakdown: 360M_180E_40H_250S)

 **Red** :  _ **8** **00**  _(breakdown: 200M_200E_200H_200S)

 **Popo** :  _ **42**_ _ **0**_  (breakdown: 90M_290E_20H_20S)

 **Lucas** :  _ **190**  _(breakdown: 110M_30E_20H_30S)

.

~oOo~

.

...I got the second highest score?

What the fuck?

I shoulder my way next to an awestruck Toon. "Hey, sweet score... but I have no idea what these numbers mean."

"Marth said that scoring around 800-900 is pretty good for no study experience, and that anything over 1000 is amazing," Toon points out, helpful as always. He glances enviously at my breakdown. "How do you have such a good History score?"

History score? I give the list a once over.

Huh.

In short, everyone failed History because seriously what the fuck is Smash City History.

Do  _you_  know?

Does anybody in this mansion know?

"Must be 'cause I'm part of the Twelve," I say dumbly. For the first time, I realize how much Peach's constant nagging over the years has actually BOOSTED my score. Well, color me surprised.

Next to the score board, Marth is pre-occupied with a mortified Mega Man.

"I don't understand. The online exam graded your results, but you managed to get an  ** _ERROR,"_**  Marth says, scratching the back of his neck, utterly baffled. "Why did you have so much trouble with the CAPTCHA at the end-?"

"I told you, I'm a  _bot._  I can't pass the terms and conditions," Mega Man protests louder as if provoked. "If the test is taken online, I can't let the graders publish my results... even if I want to!"

But then, the crowd starts to whisper, and when I let my eyes rest at the bottom of the list, I know why.

Lucas got a  _ **190**_.

Out of  _ **2000**_.

And I got second place.

What kind of fucked up black magic is this?

Even Lucas seems shocked by how poorly he did.

"But dude... you're like, half ASIAN," Popo says, glancing at Lucas with the dumbest, most bewildered expression on his face.  _"_ It's like in your blood to get perfect scores-"

I scowl, "What the actual fuck, Popo. It's just a stupid standardized test, leave him alone-"

"But like, it's LUCAS, dude. There's no way he fucked up that bad," Popo laughs, sounding more incredulous by the second. "He knows everything-"

"No, I don't," Lucas suddenly says. He looks defeated, and all of a sudden, it hits me. For as long as I've known him, Lucas has never been like me. He never started middle school. He never took the GED to make up for highschool. His prior academic record was spotty. He always turned in his homework late or forgot because he was either busy being mobbed by older kids or out covering his dad's ass from Porky's debt.

Lucas is smart for sure. Maybe even smarter than most of the adults here.

But on this exam, he never started on the same foot as everyone else.

The playing field had never been fair to begin with.

Overhead in the speakers, Master Hand announces the names for an impending brawl.

Gently ruffling my hair for a job well done, Lucas shoulders past me to his match. The crowd parts before him like rippling quicksilver.

...I don't think I've ever seen him look so alone before.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

If there's one thing you learn from the job, it's that gossip spreads like wildfire in Smash Mansion.

Lucas is lucky today, because other rumors have conveniently taken over the grapevine. Namely, relationship gossip.

And no, as true as it sounds, it's NOT the same old rumor about Palutena being Pit's sugar mama. I swear to god, if someone brings this theory up to me one more time, I'm gonna flick them in the forehead because this rumor's circled around the mill for YEARS. Do people really have nothing better to do than to trash talk about the same old things?

So yeah, no.

This time, Pittoo's taken the spotlight.

And if you thought that Lucina's breakup sounded messy, well, then  _this_  takes it to a whole new level.

"Woah, woah. Lemme get this straight. Pittoo  _PUNCHED_  Chrom in the face on New Years?" I whisper harshly, unable to hide my shock. "Does he want a death wish?"

"Yeah, you weren't there when it happened, but shit, it was pretty bad." Regretfully watching the last of his ice cubes melt, Popo swirls his glass of water around. "Not sure why Pittoo did it, but what did you expect? Pittoo's always been a ticking time bomb ready to explode."

Listening to his words, I have to rest my head against the table from the massive fucking headache I'm feeling, because good god, why is so much happening at once? Why is everyone falling apart?

I flashback to Lucas, and how withdrawn he's been the last few days. Over winter break, I'd hoped that our relationship would've grown more stable since our visit to the Buddhist Temple... but after Flint's tantrum, it's like there's a new wedge stuck in between us. I think of how distant Lucas seems these days, spaced out in his own head.

I wonder if he really loves me.

He never said that he did.

...I wish he did.

But my mind quickly slams the door on my doubts, because what the fuck, Lucas is going through a tough time, he's still grieving on top of the salt rubbed in his wounds, and right now he doesn't need to deal with all my insecure shit. The best way for me to help him is to do what I'm doing now. I gotta support him. I gotta give him space. Besides, he hasn't been neglecting me - FAR from it. We still text each other memes. We still  _pewpewpew_  with finger guns whenever we see each other and wanna talk but gotta dash. We've both been super busy the past few days is all.

Popo sets down his glass. "Dude, did you two talk?"

"Not yet. I just arrived two days ago." Catching his drift, I do a double take. "Wait like... you want me to see Pittoo right now? He's probably stuck in a funk-"

"He won't hold it over you, man."

More drama? No thanks. "Oh. Erm... I have to go see Master Hand about Winter Formal stuff-"

"Yeah, but that can wait. Trust me, dude, Master Hand's been crazy busy lately. Maybe you should pop by when he calls for you," Popo suggests. "Pittoo should be free now. You should talk to him since he's looking for you and all-"

"To talk about what? About the fact that his ex dumped him for a good reason despite Chrom being a homophobic asshole?"

"There's always a story behind everything, Nessie. Never forgetti," Popo says sagely, now reaching for his stash. "Huh, I'm out of everything now but pot... ah fuck it, I'm smoking the last of my weed. Scoot scoot if you don't wanna get high-"

"You're out already? I thought you've never OD'ed," I say slowly, and Popo gives into a grimace.

Popo, grimacing?

Come to think of it, he HAS been getting less giggly and more responsive to people lately. Has he run out of drugs to numb himself out?

"Dude, I'm not overdosing-"

"Popo, this shit could get you killed-"

" _I'm not overdosing,_ " Popo snaps, totally out of character, but after a few breaths to collect himself, he's sunken back to his lethargic state. "Okay, I'm sorry, I'll spill. Snake's decided to take the year off, which sucks, because he actually knows where to get the good stuff. He's off on a RECON mission back in his world, so I gotta find myself a new meth dealer-" When I throw his stash of weed a look, Popo impatiently waves me off. "Dude, lemme smoke this joint in peace. I'll be fine, man. Weed's not like meth. Good weed's as safe as a sleeping babe, and hella easy to find." I must still look worried, because Popo's face softens. "Ness, chillax. I know what I'm doing. Now quit worrying your ass over me, and get ready to sin this Sunday," he finishes, wiggling his eyebrows in a stupid suggestive manner, and I can't help but crack up.

I don't know why Popo signed me up for remedial couple counseling, but I mean, since Pittoo was SUPPOSEDLY looking for me... I guess I might as well go. With a long suffering sigh, I push myself off the cafeteria bench and head off in search of an elusive gothy angel.

Lobby, library, penthouse?

Yeah... nope. I don't see him.

Third floor, up we go.

The elevator doors ding open, and I peer outside. Doesn't seem like anyone's here. Just as I plan to step back in to the elevator, I halt when I hear Chrom's raised voice - not a good sign. As quietly as I can, I hurry over to the source of discord.

Nearing the argument however, though I'm disappointed to see that the other voice is NOT Pittoo, I am surprised to see  _Marth_  of all people actually intervening, since he's one of the brawlers who tends to remove himself from a heated situation.

"-I have resided in this city longer than you have, Chrom. At the very least, consider her happiness-"

"And let the kingdom fall into ruin for her personal ventures? She was aware of her future engagement to Robin before the tournament, to which she was all too glad to accept-"

"But the proposal was never signed, desu ne?" When Chrom says nothing, folding up his arms, Marth gives a short sigh. "Chrom, feelings are like a battlefield. They change over time, but the experience she'll gain will help her steady the borders. What harm is a temporary teenage fling? She is still young. She does not have to keep up pretenses here... Not unless you tell the Alteans back home."

Chrom flings his arms up in a fit of frustration. "You've seen the boy, Marth. He's not ALTEAN, much less a human. He... he is an ANGEL, far more immature than anyone whom I have ever met, whose immortality and lack of tact may endanger the royal empire to corruption-"

"Your worry is strategically sound, but antagonizing your daughter is a bad move on your own behalf."

"You of all people should know better. I suspect that you take her side since she looks up to you as a role model," Chrom says bitterly. "Marth, you may be the Hero King, but it will do you well to remember that she is not Elice."

"I do not see your point-"

_"Lucina is not your sister, Marth."_

A pregnant pause.

His fingers slowly touching the tiara on his hair, Marth lowers his head. "You are right, Lucina is not my sister. Yet, she is  _your_  daughter, Chrom."

"-which gives me all the more reason to protect her. The Altea you once knew is not the Altea you know now. It's been centuries since your last breath touched our kingdom. I am older than you in this realm, and I have witnessed more bloodshed and suffering than an average man should in his lifetime. You have no right to intervene in our family affairs-"

"Yes, but I am her Ascendant," Marth says quietly. "Just as I must remind you that I am also yours."

Chrom stiffens up. "We are not in Altea anymore. This is Smash City. Age will not command respect as it would in our homelands-"

"Then by the same definition, Lucina does not have to abide by your will. She is a good daughter, Chrom, and a clever girl. Deep down, I'm sure she knows that the relationship cannot last, but who are we to deny her temporary happiness? Support her. Leave her be. Do not sow grudges that can be avoided, lest you wish to sever the roots supporting the tree."

Then Marth leans over, lowering his voice to mutter something else to him in another language, and Chrom's expression tightens.

"Don't you  _dare_  compare this to them. Lucas is not a true Japanese, he is only a half-blood, and an utter disgrace to our heritage-"

I force a loud cough, and both heads turn to me. It suddenly occurs to me that both men are intimidating in different ways.

"Hi, just wanted to ask if either of you've seen Pittoo around," I say rather aggressively. Cause you know, you don't _stand there_ and tolerate the shade being thrown at you or your SO.

Chrom's face turns 50 shades of sour before he turns on his heel. We watch him stride away without a word.

"Unfortunately, I have not. But Lucina was in the West Wing of the lobby not too long ago," Marth confesses, but his smile looks slightly strained. When I turn to leave, Marth calls out to me. "Ah... and Ness." When raise my eyebrows in response, he closes his eyes with another long suffering sigh. "I would suggest you not to provoke Chrom for the next few weeks. He is not... what is the word..." Marth frowns, but failing to figure out the proper translation, awkwardly settles for a close second, patting me on the shoulder. "...tolerant."

Another caped figure appears at the doorway. "Marth," it calls out.

"Ike," Marth responds, registering his presence with a nod.

"I saw Chrom storming off to the elevators. Figured that your chat was over." Ike's eyes flicker to me, then to his attentive listener. "Are you two well."

"That we are. But alas, some men are not malleable to the customs of this time and age," Marth says gravely, but he looks more weary than I've ever seen him. For the first time, Marth looks over a hundred years old, and I wonder how old he EXACTLY is in Chrom's timeline. "Well, I take my leave. The textbooks do not study themselves! Good day to you, Ness."

...Well.

I guess Pittoo is nowhere to be found.

But I'm not about to leave my quest empty-handed, so I walk over to my nearest destination. Sure enough, as Marth has said, Lucina's polishing her blade on a windowsill of the West Wing. The sunlight catches her rippling blue hair, making it look like it's on fire.

Though we've never shared a word for the past two months, I feel like there's this kind of silent understanding between us... especially after we sinned with the wrong people and became the relationship outcasts of the tourney.

"Hello Ness," Lucina responds, lowering her sword. She looks despondent. "What brings you here?"

"Good question, I haven't the foggiest idea," I say, propping myself up against the ledge to join her. "Someone told me Pittoo smashed your dad's face in."

Lucina winces.

...Fuck, I'm horrible at subtlety.

"Well, you aren't wrong," she gives a mirthless laugh. With her bloodshot eyes and sallow cheeks, Lucina looks just as tired as Marth. "I suppose you heard about the break up? Word spreads quickly in the Mansion."

"You two looked happy-"

"But it was not meant to be." With a painful grimace, Lucina sheathes her sword. "Ness... we loved each other, but we weren't always as happy as we looked. There was a lot going on underneath the surface. My father highly disapproved of an interdimensional relationship-"

"Yeah, I kinda figured."

"-and it HAD been a source of friction long before you left for winter break. While I knew that Pittoo didn't get along with my father, I thought that Pittoo would have at least TRIED. But when he lost his temper here at the New Years party and hit my dad... I  _had_  to draw the line. I confronted him. He tried to explain, but I didn't want to listen, we broke up, and... and he got surprisingly upset. He's refused to talk to me since. So I suppose we HAVEN'T been on the best of terms." Lucina pauses. "To be honest, I'm a little jealous of you, Ness. You and Lucas seem to have such a good relationship."

"A good relationship?" I give a hollow laugh. "Nah, we're going through some tough times too-"

"But you're going through them together," Lucina says sadly. "I wonder... if I'd trusted Pittoo to the extent you two trusted each other... then we might never have broken up in the first place."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

As frustrating as it is, I don't get the chance to check on Lucas for the next few days.

Despite rooming together, we don't even get to SEE each other.

For whatever reason, Lucas rises early these days, even earlier than me. Occasionally, he does his fun-but-odd-roommate-quirk and leaves behind a sticky note, that he's got extra pancakes for me to eat in the fridge, or that I remember to turn off the AC after its use, but aside from the one-liners ( _which I've kept over the years because they're hella funny, okay_ ), he doesn't write much else. Which is okay, because you know, he's not like one of those passive aggressive crazies who sticky notes EVERYTHING. Usually, on a fortuitous day, Lucas leaves behind a sticky note because he either wants to cheer me up or doesn't have the time to tell me something mundane in person.

His sticky notes definitely lean on the silly end of his character.

This time, I peel off his sticky note from the fridge ( _Hairy_ _the Llama wants you to finish the extra pancakes_ ), grin at the llama in fancy eyeglasses and tophat doodled in the upper left corner, and scrawl a reply of my own on another sticky note before gratefully taking out the fluffy blueberry goodness.

But sticky notes aren't the best tool to gauge how someone is DOING, and I knew that a good convo was long overdue.

It's only been days since we last talked, but whenever both of us get busy again around the earlier half of the year, I start missing the little things I'd taken for granted. Like hanging out at lunch. Or working out together. At least for the Winter tourney, we were training together because we had to. Now, we're more like scheduling brawls whenever we're free and crossing our fingers that we'll find time left over.

On another note, Peach's ballroom dancing lessons have practically consumed my entire life. All of its slots have taken over my once-free nights. By the time I return home late, exhausted and tripping over my shoes, Lucas is already sound asleep. The only time I've seen Lucas awake at this hour was when I returned home two nights later, and that was when I caught him hunched over the dinner table, penning a check to his dad.

My stomach lurches.

I'm not sure why I feel this way. Maybe it's just the goddamn stress of the past week and Marth's stupid practice exam, but then it's like Chrom's shit-talking was the final straw that snapped the camel's back.

Suddenly, I feel angry at Flint for being such an asshole to his only son. Like, who the fuck disowns his SON, then asks him for money? And what more could a dad possibly find more important than LOVING his own SON?! Like, what the fuck?!

But while Lucas has remained pretty tight-lipped over the whole fiasco, it doesn't take much to realize that his dad's done MORE than just disown him. This makes me wonder what really transpired between the two, and if his dad's said some nasty stuff about me. But while Lucas admitted that he was disowned the night he stumbled onto my doorstep, he  _did_  say that the details didn't matter, and refused to open up any more on the subject no matter how hard I prodded and whined.

Watching Lucas quietly add the finishing touches to his letter and seal the envelope, I wonder what I've done to deserve someone like him.

...It's decided.

I'm gonna snuggle the fuck out of him tonight.

Best part is that Lucas doesn't even look up from the couch when I sneak into his lap for some much needed cuddling. "...Long day?"

"Shush you, I dun wanna talk about it," I mumble, eyes drooping. "Less talk, more cuddle."

"Mm," Lucas agrees, returning to his beloved book, but when I feel his magic tickle my shoulders in delighted sparks, sinking into my skin and soothing the sore muscles in my back, I can't help but smile wide.

I hug him tight. "I missed you," I playfully lisp, and while Lucas doesn't say anything back, another hot flurry of sparks excitedly hops up my arms.

"I was thinking... We should plan ahead. Hang out sometime this month."

"That's a good idea, January's been fucking crazy. When are you free?"

"I've got brawls booked until the weekend. Popo's birthday is coming up this Sunday, so we could do Saturda-"

"I got a patrol shift Saturday... and next weekend," I say helplessly when Lucas opens his mouth to suggest. "I'm covering for Peach, remember?"

"Master Hand said that the Bill passed, so we don't have to worry about patrol duty after February," Lucas mutters, now playing with my hair. "I could do shifts with you-"

"You've already got your shift for next week, don't ask for overtime-"

"I could use the money-"

"I think all shifts are taken though, you could ask MetaKnight if he-  _yeaaah right there-"_  I sigh when Lucas scratches me in a special spot right in the back of my head. "That feels gooood-"

"Scritch, scratch," Lucas says, but he's cracked a small smile so I guess he's okay with putting up with my weirdness. I tug his arms off my head, instead deciding to trace circles into the back of his hands.

"I know, your dad made a mistake borrowing from Porky... but in the end, it's his debt, not yours," I mumble, and I feel Lucas's arms stiffen against me.

"You'd do the same for your dad," he mutters, and I don't really have anything to say to that, because he's right.

"It's not fair. It's YOUR money. You don't owe your dad shit," I insist instead.

At this, Lucas releases a defeated sigh. "You're right. But it's... well... My dad couldn't pay on time once," he says, lowering his eyes to the floor. "I returned home from school to see him getting beaten up by Porky's debtors. That was the day I decided we needed more money, Ness. That was the reason I became a drug runner." A pause. "I know it's wrong, but I feel like I at least owe him financially... just financially, nothing else," he says, giving my hands a light squeeze as if to reassure me. "Trust me, I'm not trying to excuse him for negligence, and I'm not going to send him my paycheck forever, but I don't want him to land in jail. It's the least I can do. Just until I clear the debt... please?"

Not completely satisfied, but knowing that this is the best compromise I'll get for now, I decide to change the subject. "...Are you really sure you're okay? You haven't been eating much lately," I say, now worrying my hand over his forehead. "You're gonna get sick, go eat your pills."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

The reason behind Master Hand's apparent lag makes itself clear on Friday.

 **"SiNGLe FiLE, yOU NiTwiTS,** " Crazy Hand screeches, jabbing a finger to the elevators.  **"YeAH iM taLKiN tO _yOU_  iN tHe bAcK, yOU'LL hAVe mOrE TiME tO ExPLoRe LaTeR!** **"**

"It's been years since we've had new applicants," Toon Link whispers in astonishment, watching a twitching Crazy Hand usher a large crowd of new faces (and old, judging from Chrom's) into Master Hand's office. "I think they've been screened in for the final interview round."

"I guess so. Looks like we've got a good turnout of villains too," I respond dumbly when I see Wario bounce over to a sheepish-looking Waluigi with a happy 'WA' and give him a hearty slap on the back. This reminds me of when I spotted a nervous Lucas for his interview years ago, and I grin. Craning my head above a row of odd applicants, I think I even spot what looks like a King Crocodile with a golden potbelly before he eyes us with a leer. Off to the side, hollering and screeching up a racket, Donkey Kong and Diddy don't look too happy with their newest guest.

But when a withered, pterodactyl-looking monster ducks under the doorframe to join the back of the line, picking his nails and flashing a beady yellow eye at a shuddering Mario, I don't need a hint to know who this is.

Not believing her eyes, Samus roughly pushes her way to the front of the crowd. "Who invited you here."

"Where are your manners, space girl," Ridley says snidely, looking down at her.

"Get out. You're not welcome."

Ridley gives a low click, distastefully glancing over at the hanging chandelier on the ceiling. "Temper, temper. It would be a shame if Master Hand had to boot out one of the outstanding Twelve onto the curb. I can't say I didn't try before. For a small fleshy thing, you are annoyingly difficult to kill." He twitches. "But I suppose it's better off being fired for misconduct than being offed the same way as your mum-"

A low charging of the blaster cuts him off _._

"Mark my words, I will avenge my mother," Samus says in a deadly whisper, aiming the blaster at his head.

The two size each other up.

 **"RiDleY,"**  Crazy Hand then screeches, swinging over to pluck him into the air like a bedraggled kitten.  **"trYinG tO BE lAtE fOR YoUR iNTeRViEW? AnD INSuLTiNG tHE gREaT SAmUS aRAn? hOW RuDE! mY brOThEr WiLL hEAr AbOUt tHIs!"**

"Allright, now put me down," Ridley snarls, wriggling himself free from his grip before dropping to the ground. "I will bite your pinky off if you pick me up one more time-"

 **"sCArY, ScARy."**  Crazy Hand spasms, wagging a finger in threat, which begins to glow. Ridley hisses and recoils back as if recognizing his OP power.  **"oOH, i proPosE sOMetHinG eVeN mORe fUN! wHY dOnT yOU BiTe mE, aNd i rEaSSEmBLe aLL tHe mOLeCuLEs iN yOUr bODy? eH?"**

The glow dies.

Then, as if nothing happened, Crazy Hand cackles and zooms off, singing,  **"cHOP, ChOp, kiTTeN, mY bRoTHeR iS A MeAN fELLoW wHo dOEsnT lIKe tO WaIT!"**

Shooting Samus a final nasty glower, Ridley crawls off, his tail grating unpleasantly against the mansion floor. A few more applicants trickle in before the line disappears around the corner. Even from the front door, I can hear the cheerful chime of elevators in the lobby.

We're barely budged one step though before Crazy Hand hurtles back over to our heads.

 **"aND yOUU-"** Crazy Hand shrieks, suddenly zooming into existence to prod down Samus's blaster with a pinky.  **"-nEEd a CHiLL pILL."**

"Ridley killed my parents-"

**"aH, AH! CiTY of SeCOnD cHAnCES!"**

"He gave Mario a concussion and broke Mega Man's back when they offered him an interview invite," Samus deadpans, and Crazy Hand lifts up his palm in warning.

**"i gOt tHe DEaLEO. I LiKE yoU, SaMUs, i rEAAALLy do. YoURe noT a cOMplETe dOrK LiKe nEsS-"**

"Hey!" I protest.

 **"bUT bUsiNESS iS BuSInEsS, aND yOu Of aLL pEOpLe sHOuLd kNOw bETTeR ThAN ThAT."** When Samus reluctantly concedes his point and lowers her blaster, Crazy Hand seems to soften. I dunno how I know. Must be my Empathy link, I guess.  **"hEY, sAM-SaM. sToP bY mY oFFicE iN tWo. i hAVe sOMetHinG fOR yOU AnD yOuR ROOmMaTE MaYonnAisE tO ShARe-"**

"Bayonetta."

 **"MaYoNEttA, bAYoNeTTa, cLOse eNOugH,"** Crazy Hand cackles, wiggling his fingers in farewell.  **"tOODLEe dOO!"**

This ominous 'something to share' is revealed later today, when I stumble into Samus right after a brawl.

Mouth agape, I watch the furry gray poofball purr in Samus's arms. "Is that a-?"

"Kitten. Name's Cereza," Samus confirms, stroking its warm fur.

"Did you name-"

"Bayo did. Thought it'd be funny if we adopted herself. Hardy har har." Samus heaves a sigh. The kitten lets out an almost inaudible  _'mew'_  as it bats at Samus's uncertain hand with white-tipped legs. "Not sure how this got past Master Hand's radar, but Crazy Hand broke the  _NO PETS_  rule and snuck a kitten in. Thought I could use a therapy cat. I don't need one, but I think this fellow's gotten pretty attached to me. Thank god it isn't a dog though, Master Hand absolutely hates dogs-"

 _"POPEYES!"_  Wheezing for breath, Ike rounds the curve of the stairs with a loud bellow that makes us jump. He looks unusually flustered. "Uh... have either of you seen a dog around here."

"I didn't even know you  _owned_  a dog," Samus frowns.

"I did. Unofficially. Since last year." Looking reluctant to explain, Ike caves in under Samus's eyes with a gruff, "I like to drop by one of the stages after hours, but today... I accidentally left the portal open. One of the Nintendogs escaped-"

Alert in an instant, Samus starts hoisting her blaster around. "A Nintendog? Where?"

"Don't shoot, it's small! It likes to cause trouble, help me find it," Ike protests.

"Well then, what does it look like?" Samus says impatiently.

A terrified yelp echoes around the lobby.

Looking absolutely frightened out of his wits, Fox darts out from the base of the stairs to hide behind Samus, who accidentally drops Cereza from her arms. Disgruntled by the fall, Cereza hisses at the new arrival, her tail flicking in displeasure.

Then a tiny bright-eyed golden retriever yips over, struggling to catch up to Fox with its short stubby legs.

"D-dog!" Fox shakily points from his perch around Samus's back. "It's trying to chase me-"

Samus dumps him onto the ground with a scowl. "Can it, Fox. You're not afraid of Duck Hunt Dog-"

"That's because Duck Hunt Dog's fucking intelligent, unlike this savage untamed beast-" Not taking this remark too kindly, a nearby Duck Hunt Dog turns around to growl at him, curling his upper lip, and Fox cowers behind Samus when Ike's Nintendog lets loose an excited bark. "Please, Samus," Fox begs. "I hate dogs, I fucking hate them-"

"Here, Popeyes," Ike clucks, kneeling to the ground and clucking his tongue a second time. In an instant, the pupper yips to him with the most adorable face possible.

"You named your dog  _POPEYES?"_  I say in disbelief, and Ike shrugs.

"He liked the chicken I brought him. Thanks for the take out. I'll venmo you tonight."

"Yeah... no prob," I say, my eyes wide at the adorable bundle of joy wriggling around Ike's biceps because seriously,  _how the fuck does a puppy look so adorable oh my god I CANT STOP LOOKING._

"(LOVE ME)" the puppy yips, wagging its tail in pure joy.

...Oh yeah. A little late, but I can understand animals. Usually talking to animals is a one-way street, like talking to Pokemon, so I can only understand what THEY say... except that Pokemon are insanely smart and understand human speech so I don't have to fucking know how to speak Pokemon for them to understand ME.

Take Lucas for instance. He's fluent in Snake. He can speak pretty good Dog too, just with a strong lab accent.

...I think my Dog's gotten a little rusty.

This golden retriever though, looks too young to understand much English yet.

As if summoned to the spot, an exhausted Lucas trudges over in my direction, looking deadbeat after finishing his ninth brawl of the day.

"Lucas, holy shit," I yell, cupping my hands around my mouth to catch his attention. "There's a baby-"

Instantly, Lucas makes a sharp turn for the front door. "Nope-"

"-dog."

Just as quickly, Lucas whirls back around, his eyes lighting up as if I'd said that the mansion was made of chocolate. "WHERE."

His question is answered by the excited puppy escaping from Ike's arms. The pupper bounds over to lick me messily in the face.

"AAH, hey hey, SIT."

Lowering its ears, the golden retriever whines in disappointment and falls onto its haunches. "(SIT? I KNOW WORD! I sit, I sit. Am good boye now?)" it pants, wagging its tail. "(I get pets? Please fren. Pet me?)"

Aw man.

How can you say no to that face?

So when the puppy begs for more pets, I give it a hearty scratch around the neck.

The instant I say "good boye," it leaps back into my arms - with no hesitation whatsoever - and I clumsily stumble under its weight with a laugh. I love dogs. They're the purest creatures to walk this earth. They're all good boyes.

"(Belly rub? Belly rub?)" It insists, falling onto the floor to roll over onto its back.

At this point, Lucas has yet to say a single word, but fuck it if the look on his face says it all.

When Lucas crouches down, reaching over to gently scratch the dog behind its ears, the doggo perks up and jumps into his lap to seek more attention.

"(Love me)," it borks, pawing at Lucas's striped shirt and nudging its wet nose into Lucas's hands. "(Am I good doggo? Belly rub? Oh, please tell me I'm a good boye awooo.)"

...I think Lucas is ready to die of happiness.

So it's with reluctance (and relief on Fox's end) when Ike finally carries the good boi back up the stairs, but I'm glad to see that Lucas's shoulders have relaxed during the short encounter. While I wanna buy him a puppy so badly... or even bring King to the Mansion, neither of us have the time nor the money to take care of a dog right now. And as much as it hurts, I bet Lucas knows that too.

You can't just gift someone a pet because they want it. It's definitely a gift that takes a lot of prior planning.

...but damn holy fuck, that was one seriously cute puppy.

I really hope Master Hand lets Ike keep Popeyes.

"There's no way that secret's gonna last long with Master Hand around," Samus notes, and Fox quietly slinks away, humiliated by the reveal of his morbid phobia.

Like a child who's discovered candy for the first fucking time, Lucas stares longingly after the puppy until I nudge him in the side. "Upstairs?" I mumble.

Lucas tears his eyes away and follows me to the elevator.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Welcome to the 5th floor, home to the newly established SMASH Agency.

I think it all finally makes sense now.

The reason Master Hand didn't bother with our shipping scandal last year... was because he was being overworked. And glancing at the updated schedule on my phone, courtesy of an  _ **Emergency Twelve**_  meeting this morning, Mario managed to make everything clear.

As omnipotent as he is, Master Hand can't be everywhere at once.

With the roster expanding like a limousine next year, Master Hand's got an impossible load on his hands. So with the start of Smash Ultimate, he's signed a new policy: Each Smasher is to hire a personal agent. This means that every agent would be in charge of their Smasher's day-to-day shenanigans - including scheduling brawls, averting shipping scandals, and so forth. This also means that Master Hand would only be notified of the shit that really matters, and so, won't waste his time on the shit that DOESN'T matter.

As a part of the Twelve, I've got it easy. I've been assigned one of the best agents hired by Master Hand himself.

But as for the other Smashers, well... that really depends on their budget.

So while Lucas doesn't have the highest salary, there's no way I'm gonna let some sleezy incompetent douchebag force Lucas's rep down on a nosedive.

That's why we're here right now: chillin' in a nice office-slash-housing-quarters in the 5th floor as Lucas meets up with the job applicants one by one, trying to pick and choose the best agent to handle his politics and inner affairs.

"I liked the second dude with the goatee, he seemed nice," I suggest, and Lucas shakes his head in frustration.

"He had shadier motives in mind."

"Oh. Well... the third dude had an impressive resume-"

"I can't afford his minimum wage-" The door knocks, and Lucas calls the last applicant in.

Considering that  ** _Mother 3_**  was never released worldwide, there's honestly so few applicants that I'm starting to get a little worried until the door opens to the fifth, and final, applicant.

He has a limp in one leg.

"Hello," says the soft-spoken man, shaking Lucas's hand. "Lucas, is it? It's a pleasure to meet you. The name is Duster."

Lucas and I share a glance.

It's a no brainer.

Despite his currently unemployed status and spotty retroactive amnesia, Duster is an honest man. He has nothing to hide, and Lucas verifies it. I think that Lucas has taken a liking for the dude as his agent, which is saying a lot, and honestly, I can't say that I disagree with his choice.

"Thanks for hiring me," Duster says, relieved, now tucking Lucas's profile into his tattered briefcase with another handshake and a smile that seems to wipe the tired bags from his eyes. "Well... I guess this room is my office now. Lucas, let me know which times you want to schedule brawls in February, and I'll add them into the system. It seems like after next week, I can let you know if Master Hand plans on changing your Final Smash this December-" As if noticing me, Duster's eyes flicker to my face in surprise. "And you are..."

"Ness," I say, firmly shaking his hand. "Please take good care of him."

"Don't worry, I'll do my best," he assures me, sitting down when Lucas offers him a free chair behind his freshly furnished desk. "But first... Ness, I need to contact your agent as soon as possible. Can you give me his business card? We need to discuss the media backlash over your shipping scandal, and I think both of you would sleep a little more soundly knowing that false news isn't going to damage your rep-"

"I like him," Lucas says once we step out of the interview room - now Duster's new office and home.

"Yeah, I could tell. I'm kinda surprised. You don't normally warm up to strangers this well, "I agree.

"He looks familiar," is all Lucas says, the wistful look entering his eyes again. "I think we can trust him."

Well then, that's as good enough response as any.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading. :D
> 
> Lucas writing little sticky notes is inspired from one of my former roommates, who wasn't a sentimental soul by any means, but occasionally had their playful bouts of silly antics once you got to know them well. As for fingergunning... that's a bad habit of mine HAHA oh dear
> 
> Most of this chapter seems like slice-of-life filler, but I promise many of these topics will tie into future chapters! There are actually a lot of references in this chapter, so I'm not sure if I've labeled them all:
> 
> *In canon, Marth lives in Altea and has an older sister named Elice
> 
> *In Lucina's game, Lucina and Robin are implied to be a canon couple, although the ending is open to interpretation
> 
> *Chrom and Lucina are descendants of Marth (which is an interesting dynamic, considering these characters are from different timelines in this AU)
> 
> *Ridley is the arch nemesis of Samus in Metroid
> 
> *Bayonetta did adopt her child self (Cereza) in canon
> 
> *There is a Nintendog stage in Sm4sh
> 
> *Some SmashU (Smash Ultimate) characters, wannabe SmashU characters (rip Waluigi), and character reveal trailers make a cameo!
> 
> *In Mother 3, Lucas adventures in a party with Duster, Boney, and Kumatora
> 
> *Snake's absence in the next tournament represents his absence from Sm4sh
> 
> *BONUS FACT: Meth (a drug commonly known as Methamphetamine) is a powerful stimulant. Two common symptoms of meth are (1) being overly talkative (hence Popo's rep for being a chatterbox and spreading office gossip) and (2) personality changes. Personality fluctuations can be drastic between someone under its effects vs the same person under withdrawal, and it looks like we're starting to see Popo... CRACK  
> HA PUN  
> All joking aside, we'll see more of Popo next chapter :)


	30. Returning to My Roots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas faces an unforeseen dilemma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [EDIT 10/6/18]: Changed "sofu" to "ojiisan." "Sofu" is a formal term, used to talk ABOUT your own grandfather and is encountered more in Japanese literature. While "ojiisan" is often used by grandsons, while "ojiichan" is mostly used with grand-daughters (as a term of endearment). Thanks, kind reviewer from FF! :DDD
> 
> The decision to make Lucas half white/half japanese (happa) was solidified in this fic after I wanted Lucas himself to symbolize love across borders. The fic is also based on canon interpretation, where Flint is presumed to be based off of American actor Clint Eastwood, and Hinawa has a default Japanese name in the English Translation. Love is love, love is pure. :)
> 
> On the other hand, Ness is 100% American boye. He looks pretty tan in-game too LMAO  
> Seriously, if you put Ness and Lucas's sprites together, Lucas looks noticeably paler hahaha
> 
> Also, Lucas's in-game instrument is... *DRUM ROLL* An acoustic guitar. Simple, clean, and straightforward. I think this makes an excellent personality contrast to Ness's signature move - PK Rockin' - which flashes like a fluorescent epileptic light show and gives off more of an electric guitar vibe.

After my disastrous FIST score and the slew of practice matches that followed, I find myself back in my apartment with the Mother 3 cartridge in my hands in the middle of the night. I'm not sure what compelled me to reboot the GameBoy to replay its orchestral music, or to open up Porky's last save file before my brother's demise, but somehow, this feels right. When the screen blacks out yet again for the first time since Christmas, I can't help but brush a thumb against my brother's  ** _Masked Man_**  sprite as if he could feel my touch through the screen. As if Claus could comfort me again like he did all those years ago as children. As if Claus could know that I'm alive, that I'm only alive today thanks to him.

As morbid as this save file is, I'm loathe to delete it.

Because this is the closest I've gotten to seeing my brother alive in years.

When I watch his sprite attack me yet again without any hesitation of stopping, a lump rises in my throat. Why were we fighting in the first place? Was I in the wrong? Did he die with any regrets? Did he die knowing that he saved me? I think of my brother's grinning face, then suddenly taste something sour in my mouth. Surely Claus wouldn't have wanted me dead... not if he saved me in the end. Not if he apologized for leaving me behind in the land of the living.

Watching Claus die in my arms for what seems like the hundredth time, I wonder what Claus would've done in my shoes.

The answer is simple.

I want the truth. No matter how painful it is, I deserve to know the full story. Or at the very least, my twin brother deserves me to know. There's no doubt Claus wouldn't want me to live in the past, but how could I let go of my past without KNOWING my past?

Watching Ness sleep in the other twin bed, the answer becomes all too clear. I want to overcome my fears.

...Hasn't it always been the case?

I want to grow stronger.

I want to know my past.

Without second thought, I restart the game.

It's a strange feeling, to know that I'm holding my life in my hands. After selecting the 2nd empty save file, keeping Porky's 1st save file intact, the screen burns impossibly bright before its fluorescent light dies back down into a low hum. Once more, Porky must have thought two steps ahead, because I realize that somehow, he must have tampered with the factory setting.

As I stare in horror at the incomprehensible letters floating across the GameBoy screen, a sudden realization strikes home.

_**I can't read Japanese.** _

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter Thirty**_ ~

_**Returning to My Roots** _

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* * *

Over breakfast, Marth turns the battered GameBoy over in his hands with a frown of concentration. When he speaks, I've never noticed how he pronounces his Ls like Rs in a faint inflection of a Japanese accent. "Is this your game? If ROB wasn't able to restore the language settings, I doubt you'll find much luck restoring any saved data along with it." The King hands the console back to me, and I regretfully pocket the GBA.

The restart had even wiped out Porky's save file.

But if there's any consolation, I now know that Porky's hiding something from me. He doesn't want me to regain my memory. He doesn't want me out of the dark. Failing this, I bet he got a kick out of frustrating me yet again.

Luckily, I have a backup plan.

"This game is very personal to you, is it not? Then you probably wouldn't feel very comfortable asking someone else to translate for you as you play-"

I shake my head, and tell him my request.

Clearing all trace of misunderstanding from his face, Marth at the very least, seems taken aback but quickly breaks into smile. "You want me to teach you your mother's native tongue?" Marth's smile, if possible, grows even wider when I nod in affirmation. "Well... Ryuka, I am honored that you would ask me of all people on the roster. My classes start again on the last week of January, but we can work around that schedule, and I can teach you the basics - of course, because you grew up around your mother speaking Japanese, you are probably a passive speaker, so you won't have as much trouble with the intonation. We can count ourselves lucky for that-" Marth catches himself. "Alas, if you wish me to teach you Japanese... then I also wish to ask you a favor in turn. If you agree to it, that is. We can go over your FIST scores early tomorrow morning if you'd like-"

"A favor?"

Still smiling, Marth pats me on the shoulder. "I want you to take the college entrance exam in April." When I hesitate, Marth gives me an understanding look, and rises from the cafeteria table for his match. "-no need to decide now. Take a week to think over it."

So think I do.

Stuck at a forkroad, I debate over my possible options, waking up early in the mornings to catch Marth with any questions about the exam itself. Unfortunately, I'm no Ness, and haggling isn't my strength; Marth remains firm on his conditions, leaving me no choice but to either accept or decline the deal.

Marth's proposal has thrown a wrench in the works.

I'm not sure if I want to attend college.

Despite remembering Ness's complaints about 6th grade, lessons and classes seem like a privilege that I've never had the chance to explore. Education was never an option for me, and college seems even more unfathomable to attain. I can't afford the tuition. I can't afford the fees. This is of course, excluding the fact that I - a person who dropped out of elementary school - could possibly keep up with rest of the class.

Furthermore, I didn't exactly NEED Marth's help to learn Japanese if I so chose to decline his deal. True, Marth was a native speaker, and would probably speed up my learning process, but with the amount of data available on Google these days, I could always search up  _Hiragana For Dummies_  on the Internet.

"You? Course you can," Ness encourages, shooting me a look that can be closely summed up to  _Are you crazy?_  when I express my doubts. "If you really wanted to, I bet you could ace anything. You're hella smart."

While Ness raises a good point that college isn't mandatory to gain a steady job... I do love to learn.

School isn't for everyone.

But I want to live a life without regrets.

With patrol duty banned, I might as well use that time for other things aside from training.

Even with Porky's debt over my head, even if I end up declining Marth's offer in the end... for once in my life, I want to have the power to choose. So if I do want to learn... if I do want to at least have the option of attending college...

My best bet is to win the full-tuition merit scholarship.

...Which I fear is close to impossible when I ask Marth later in the week.

"Merit scholarships are granted to the top 25 scorers. You have to be in the top 10 to earn the full tuition scholarship, but if you fall within 25, you can get at least half off," Marth offers over his daily breakfast of rice, and across the cafeteria, his Fire Emblem brethren watch me in growing curiosity - no doubt wondering why I've been seeking Marth for the past few mornings. It's the only time I can catch Marth free before his afternoon brawls. "Every year, the exam becomes more and more competitive. Some even devote their entire lives into studying for this moment."

My heart sinks. "How... how high does my score need to be to fit into the top ten?"

"That, I am not sure," Marth says apologetically. "The curve changes every year. But to have a chance in the top ten, I believe you have to score at least 98% on each subsection of the FIST." Catching the expression on my face, Marth grimly sets down his chopsticks. "I won't sugarcoat it, Ryuka. It won't be easy, and while I'll do my best to help you, I will be a tough teacher-"

"Am I dreaming? Marth's TUTORING you FOR FREE?!" Roy crows out, sliding his tray over from the FIRE EMBLEM crowd to join me and nearly startling Cereza out of my hands. With a hiss, Cereza flicks her tail and darts out of the cafeteria, ears flattened in displeasure. Ike silently slides into our table and digs into his third chicken sandwich. "No wonder you've got him so excited, Marth  _loves_  to teach, I think he spent all night planning out your entire study schedule until April-"

Marth's face turns red. "Bestill your tongue."

"Marth ranked first in the college entrance exam our year," Ike bluntly says his two cents, and if possible, Marth turns ten shades darker.

"I bet his GPA is still a 4.0 unweighted-"

"He burns through pencils faster than Kirby can swallow down breakfast, lunch,  _and_  dinner-"

"He became a TA in Japanese Literature his freshman year-"

"He's never missed a spot on the Honor Roll-"

"That's enough of you two heathens!" Marth bursts out, and snatching up his own breakfast plate, Roy runs away cackling like a kid on sugar.

"Our point is, you can't go wrong with Marth as your tutor," Ike continues as if none of the hullabaloo had happened, slow steady and stubborn as a mule to finish his say. "If you've never gone to school, you'll at least learn to pick up good study habits from him."

"You don't even attend college!"

"I've seen you study before." As if the argument is won, Ike chooses this moment to leave, re-joining an excitedly chattering Roy over by the Fire Emblem crew.

Trying to regain any semblance of our previous conversation, Marth pats me on the back. "Don't be pressured... but I would be happy to be your mentor," he mumbles with the most awkward expression I've ever seen on the Hero King before he leaves to seek his friends.

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~oO0Oo~

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Saturday morning begins with full of surprises.

Looking like he's got no time to lose, Ness hurriedly hugs me goodbye before dashing off to his patrol shift, fast on his feet. He's stacked multiple shifts in one go, thanks to Peach and Luigi bailing, but after snoozing through his alarm, he's five minutes late today. I wave him goodbye as he teleports away in the lobby, burnt toast in hand, his hat askew. I don't know how Ness does it, meeting people, greeting people, helping people with barely a wink of sleep in his arsenal. Aside from Aura training with Lucario on Saturdays and catching up on chores, my weekends are generally free.

When I turn back around, I almost bump into Rosalina coming down the stairs.

"-was thinking to give Daisy my pearls before the wedding so that she'd have a fabulous dowry-  _oh, Lucas!_ " Princess Peach twirls around in the middle of her conversation, her parasol open indoors. "Hello dear. Early riser?"

"No, Lucas is a night owl. He has trouble falling asleep, but sleeps soundly when he does," Rosalina speaks matter-of-factly, her voice as serene as her cosmic dress. She blinks, her eyes watching my discomfort in no small curiosity. "Ness is the morning lark. He sleeps well, but wakes easily."

As if startled, Peach glances back at me. "So it is! Well, Lucas," she says warmly, grasping my hands in a very matronly manner. "I want to thank Ness for covering my shifts this month. Luigi's in a bit of a nervous fluster these days, but I'm very sure he feels the same way. After all, Ness taking over patrol duty for Luigi to attend his own wedding was very sweet of him-"

"Luigi's getting married?" I say, surprised. I vaguely recount Ness mumbling how he threw up in Luigi's bathroom with a very shame-faced look on his face, and stifle a grin. No doubt Ness wanted to repay Luigi for the inconvenience. "Er... Congratulations."

Peach winks at me, "Oh, it's a secret. Luigi didn't want to raise a fuss. Private wedding, very low-key, didn't want to draw much attention, but as the maid of honor, I'll be a mushroom's aunt if I didn't make it a big deal! As it stands, I leave today for Mushroom Kingdom for preparations. The wedding is next weekend, and I have only one whole week to plan everything! It's a small party of people, just me, Rosie, Mario, and Yoshi, along with Bowser and his children, but if Master Hand agrees, we'll host a late wedding reception here in the Mansion sometime after Winter Formal. Luigi's let the Twelve know, but since you're probably going to be Ness's Plus One, I'm letting you in on the hush-hush. Has Ness told you about Winter Formal yet?"

I blink. "What about Winter Formal?"

"Oh then nevermind, sweet. Just old lady blather." Peach sighs now, tapping a gloved finger against her face in the perfect figure of a damsel in distress. "We would've wanted Nana there as a bridesmaid, but it didn't seem right to ask the poor girl to miss her birthday party tomorrow, so we've asked Ashley instead. I think it's a good choice. She seems excited over what to wear, Wario is so very proud of her..." Peach trails off into thought. "Rosie, do you think Luigi should invite Wario to the wedding too? I think he  _should-"_

"Luigi should invite whomever he wants at his own wedding," Rosalina answers, always the avid listener, and with a nod of her head, Peach claps her gloved hands together.

"Of course, absolutely! Oh Rosie, I can't wait to show Daisy her new dress, I made sure to ask Toadette to fetch me the best tailor in the kingdom. The wedding veil and the dress are the prettiest shade of lilac anyone's ever seen. Oh oh oh, I really do hope Daisy loves it-"

Taking this as the sign that the conversation is over, I continue heading up the stairs. Popo and Nana's birthday party is tomorrow. Excluding parties, social gatherings, and dances, birthdays stress me out most because I never know what to get people for their birthday. Since Ness already bought his gift for Popo, I might ask Ness to help me go present shopping when he returns tonight.

As if summoned to the spot, the to-be birthday boy catches me by the roof of the stairs.

"Hey," Popo says, now leaning off the railing to face me. "Come have a smoke."

I frown.

"I know you don't, but just come chill with me, will ya? Spare me some pity and give me company. I never get to hang with you, and I see Ness so often that his face is starting to make me sick," Popo moans, not giving me much of a choice because he's dragging me along by the arm to the apartments. "Sides, you owe me after Christmas, don't I deserve a talk with my favorite blond?"

We end up stopping by Room 1001.

Cloud's apartment.

When I duck my head under the doorway, it's rancid with the smell of weed. No doubt we're here as opposed to the Ice Climber's place, because Nana's lectured Popo a million times not to smoke indoors.

No matter what people say about weed and how harmless it is, as a drug runner, I've seen what people can do under its influence. At the very least, while weed is supposedly a smarter choice than alcohol and cigs, I wouldn't trust my decision making skills on any state except sober.

Outside on the balcony, several people have crashed on a cramped assortment of couches and and chairs.

"I forsee... that you'll be as high as a kite," Shulk trails off, pointing a finger up into the ceiling, red-eyed with his pupils bloodshot.

"Sounds about right," Cloud says, flicking his joint aside when he sees me. "Hey, Lucas. Nice recovery yesterday."

Despite winning that match on pure luck, I fluster in embarrassment. My recovery yesterday was shoddy at best. A powerhouse on the battlefield, Cloud's moveset, even nerfed, is both enviable and intimidating. The only other person who has come remotely CLOSE to winning this honor is Bayonetta herself, and even now, her presence in the tourney is still under heavy debate.

To give you a better idea of the fearsome character that is Cloud, this here is a man who was recently banned from future Doubles.

That's the equivalent of a pro-gambler being banned at the casino.

As if catching onto my train of thought, Cloud cracks a smile, all the while resembling a Californian surfer dude. "Don't be so modest, I'm just a fighter like anyone else." Dragging Shulk to his feet by the scruff of his collar, Cloud steps back inside, offering us to walk into the open balcony. "I'm turning in. Popo, your joint's rolled by the flower vase."

With a word of thanks, Popo leads me outside.

Recognizing me from his place on the couch, Ike gives us a vague wave in my direction, only pausing to turn his head and blow smoke off into the sky. "Never pegged you for someone who smokes," Ike now says with a frown, and picking up his own joint, Popo laughs.

"Lucas? Nah bro, he doesn't."

"Good, that's one less pothead in the house." Ike wraps up his joint. "Got a brawl in ten. Popo-"

"I know, man. I told you a billion times, I've stopped hounding after Snake-"

"ROB disagrees."

Popo impatiently flaps a hand to wave away his concerns. "Yeah, yeah, I heard him, weed hasn't been proven or disproven to be good by the scientific community, fuck that. ROB's only a pack of bolts, he can't even smoke."

Cocking an eyebrow at his tone, Ike slides the balcony door open. "You know I'm okay with the weed. It's the other things that worry me."

Popo gives him a knowing smile. "Dude. Duuude, you're like, almost as bad as Ness when it comes to worrying over shit that doesn't concern you. I gotchu. Thanks for the concern, man."

Ike doesn't look very pleased over Popo's conviction, but sensing that the conversation is over, ducks his head under the door frame and slides the door to the balcony shut.

With an exasperated sigh, Popo leans against the railing to smoke his joint. From the side, I silently confirm my own suspicions. Popo's eyes don't look the least bit red-rimmed or bloodshot, and the skin around his eyes is subtly lighter.

He's wearing makeup. Definitely contacts.

I try not to breathe in the toxic fumes and instead, watch people and cars dot the highway like ants in a hurry. While I dislike weed, I don't mind other people smoking it, because what other people like to do in their spare time doesn't concern me. It's their life on the line, not mine.

"I'll be honest with you, I didn't expect it to happen. You and Ness."

"Really now," I say, the least bit interested in what he has to say now that I know what he wants.

"I know, color me surprised. But seriously, I was only hoping Ness would at least get a good experience out of it. Dating a good friend. First romances don't usually work out, but hey, I really wanted you two to be happy, and I had enough faith to believe that if you two broke things off, you'd still wish the best for the other. Besides, you shouldn't shit where you eat. Dating coworkers explodes in your face fast." Popo blows some smoke over the railing. "-and that's being generous. At worst, I thought you'd turn Ness down. That you'd reject him, and that he'd move on."

"You seem to know a bit about relationships."

"Me? More like starting them. Keeping them's another thing." Popo smiles widely. "Oh, I'm mostly in for a short fix. One night stands. And I let the girls know. I've had a couple of problems once or twice, where the girl gets too attached to me or vice versa, so I have to turn them down. Nowadays, I'm in for a quick fuck, so I don't fuck the same person twice. Feelings get too damn messy in the workplace-"

"Popo, what do you want from me."

"Hm?"

"You didn't bring me here so that we could chat. You want something from me," I say quietly.

At this, Popo finally looks at me from the railing, and breaks into a soft laugh of relief. "Damn, dude. I forgot you can see through everyone's bullshit. You know, for a guy who wants love but can't learn to love himself... Lucas, you're a walking paradox."

I wait for his response.

Popo flicks the end of his joint. "You know any buddies?"

"Buddies?"

"I heard you were once a drug dealer."

This catches me by surprise. Outside of the Sharks, I doubted anyone here could've known. No one could have, not when I worked under a pseudonym, not when I introduced myself as  _Claus,_  not when I made my resignation clear to the Sharks during Ness's quest. To be put bluntly, psychic powers gave me a nice max repel from any unwanted stalkers, and finding a new dealer was much easier for the Sharks to do than track me down and beat me up into pulp. "Ness told you?"

"Nah. Just stuff I've heard from someone else. I have my sources. Doesn't matter anyway, it won't be on your record here you know, City of Second Chances and all," Popo says evasively. "You think it was Ness? Dude even if Ness knew, he'd never tell me."

"It happened in my world. I'm not sure how you figured that out," I say, perplexed and a little flustered.

Popo gives a light-hearted laugh. "Doesn't matter, don't worry about it. Anyways bro... so you WERE a dealer."

"A runner. Did some dealing for about a year. As long as I brought clean stuff, it was the safest job at the time..." I grimace. "-and I was desperate. Most people tend to be nicer if you're a dealer, because you get them their fix, but I didn't like the job. Knowing that I was wrecking lives to save my own isn't something I'm proud of."

"Weren't you afraid that someone'd rat you out?"

"At that age, it's a lot more frightening to imagine your dad being beaten down for not paying his bills." I pause, getting an inkling of where this convo is headed. "Popo, I left the business a long time ago. Even if I want to, which I don't, I don't know the proper people to get you meth."

Popo sighs, collapsing onto the empty couch. "It was worth a shot. Thanks, bro."

He looks so defeated that I don't have the heart to leave him behind. Instead, I end up sitting beside him in the couch, watching the city bustle to life. Somewhere, Ness was busy catching third rate criminals and keeping the peace. "...How long?"

"Meth? About a year. Coke for three. Dabbled in a bit of ecstasy, heroin, and shrooms after starting weed, but not much. Meth is killing me though. Nowadays whenever I'm down, I feel like meth's the only thing there for me. Especially after I got suckered into an elite pedophilia ring a couple years back. It was a family friend. She was thirty-three. I was... thirteen? I think. Can't remember. Anyways, they don't like older kids, so they're letting me go after I turn 18 today. Not that I care." His eyes start to turn glazed, as if Popo is drifting away from reality. "Whoring myself out earned good money. But I kept thinking, better me than Nana. And I was right. She's doing awesome now. 'Cause... you know what happened over winter break?"

At this point, I don't think Popo's even talking to me anymore. He's venting. If I learned anything from being a drug runner, it's that people tend to open up to you about their problems, because they want someone there to hear them out.

I wonder if he's told Nana half the things he's told me today.

So I don't interrupt. I don't speak up. Popo doesn't need me to pity him or tell him what to do. Not when everyone else already does.

I listen.

"Our tribe wants Nana to become the next chieftain. They want to pull her out for a year of training and help the res. The catch is, I can't fight here alone. Master Hand's contract requires both of us to be here." Tilting the joint out of his mouth, Popo releases a slow breath into the air before continuing, sounding harried. "My older sister's got a full life ahead of her. I'm not jealous. I'm really not. She deserves the position. But it kinda made me think about what  _I_  was doing with my own life, you know. Nothing. I'm doing nothing with my life, except for drugs, sex, and weed." Popo rolls up his joint tighter as if in self-forgiveness. "Nah, weed and sex are good, I'm just kidding. Everything else though... bro. It's a struggle."

The joint in Popo's fingers sends spirals of smoke dancing into the air as if on its own accord.

Then Popo rises into a long stretch, lightly bumps the end of his joint to the ground, and pockets the extinguished joint.

"I think... I know what I wanna do now. Thanks Lucas, I owe you one." Glancing back at me, Popo slides Cloud's balcony door open and breaks into a slow smirk. "By the way, I know, bro. Don't get me a birthday gift, or I'll send Nana to clobber you over the head. I wanna ask you for another favor instead..."

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~oO0Oo~

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" _ **Lucas, you are faltering."**_

When Lucario clips the last sticky flag off my back with his paw - the equivalent of a stock in a brawl - I take off the reflective blindfold with a sour look. "I want to grow stronger."

Finally opening his eyes, Lucario watches me with serious eyes. " ** _And so you have._** _ **I've taught countless pupils, human and pokemon, and few can handle Sir Aaron's training. Yet you are distracted today.**_ ** _Above all, it is easy to abuse psychic powers. Exercise caution first, and compassion second."_**

I don't disagree. Most people usually don't, not with a Pokemon who's lived a lifespan at least a hundred times my age. Age is no indicator of wisdom, but Lucario bears the weight of a veteran who has had to fight one too many wars.

You don't argue against experience.

So I take in Lucario's words to stretch my sore muscles.

_**"What troubles you?"** _

"I want to recall my memories."

Lucario frowns. He sits down next to me, offering me a glass of water which I gratefully take.  _ **"If I recall, your memories are lost, not repressed. You cannot regain what is missing,"**_  he says frankly, but I catch the hidden empathy in his words.

"Lucario, I don't remember  _anything_  about my quest. I've searched up the name of my hometown before, and it doesn't exist. I thought that my brother was alive for years, just missing, but it turns out that he's dead. Now that I'm thinking about it-" I suddenly say, looking up. "My memories over my mom's death always seemed hazy. She died... but I don't think she died in an automobile accident. I once dreamed I was at another grave, and it felt familiar, and I somehow KNEW she was buried there-" Abashed by how long I've run my mouth, I catch myself. "My bad."

Lucario gives a bark of laughter.  _ **"The path of a Hero is never easy, and needlessly complicated. Link and his many reincarnations are an example of how chaotic good can be. What does your intuition tell you?"**_

"I don't think killing my own brother was a heroic deed. In the end, I was the villain, and he was the true hero of my game."

 _ **"Did you mean to kill your brother?"**_ When I reluctantly shake my head, Lucario only places a paw on my shoulder.  _ **"Lucas, a hero is only human. Moreso, few villains exist for the sake of being evil. But if you do truly understand the value of human life, then I regard you no less than Sir Aaron himself. Why do you live? Because you are a fighter. For what cause do you fight?"**_

"...To protect the people I care about," I mumble yet again, sinking my head deeper into my hands in growing mortification. As true as Lucario is, you have to admit that if your trump move is named  _PK LOVE,_  it can get a little embarrassing at times.

_**"You underestimate yourself, Lucas. In the heart of all danger, when trouble threatens to swallow up our steps, we fall back on the people who support us. Many seek self-improvement, fewer still pursue it, but you should never forget to credit the people who have led you to where you are. I hope that one day, you DO regain your memories, but for now, treasure the fond times you had with your family, with your father, with your mother, with your brother. Wherever you go, they live on with you."** _

A little roundabout way of speaking, but I can't help but crack a smile at his advice. "Thanks, Lucario."

_**"Do not thank me. It is easy for telepaths to get lost in their own thoughts."** _

"Do you think I should replay my game?"

 _ **"I can't answer that for you."**_  Lucario brings his paw up, and it glows with a blue fire.  **" _But take for example, Aura. Aura is the root to all magic across all dimensions. Aura is the color of your magic, and by definition, the color of your soul, Lucas. No two people share the exact same Aura."_**

"...but there are exceptions," I say, catching onto his hesitation.

 _ **"...Yes. I have witnessed such a case before. Once. I met two people with the same aura... one thousand years apart."**_ Lucario pauses.  ** _"_** ** _Lucas, I can't answer whether or not you should replay your game, but I will tell you this: Do not underestimate coincidence. I would not ignore what your senses tell you, but it would be foolish to blindly disregard the intervention of Fate."_**

With Aura training over and Ness still out on patrol duty, I decide to spend the rest of the Saturday morning investigating some loose ends of my own.

Finding the cluster of naked Sakura trees was easy, but spotting the stone cobbled path was harder. I even tried using my telepathy to scan the area from time to time, but it feels like no one is around in the vicinity. I was so sure it was here too. I almost decide to double around when a familiar voice catches my attention.

"You there, are you lost?"

Carrying a full pail of water in each hand, Alec smiles when I whirl around. "Well, if it isn't my grandson," he says, peering over and raising a hand to correct the horn-rimmed spectacles over his eyes. "Every time I see you, you grow ever the more gallant. Your mother must be so proud of you."

Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I meet his eyes. "I hired a man to be my advisor yesterday. He wrote down his address on his application. He says that he's homeless, and suffers from retroactive amnesia, but apparently lives in the heart of this forest. Do you know him?"

"Who?" Wordlessly, I draw up the complete job application from my bag, and the old man's face brightens up at the wallet photo stapled on the top. "Oh Duster! Ol' Wess said that his homeless bum of a son didn't have a single chance in any job in the market, but ha! I proved him wrong! I told him to apply!" he cackles.

I can barely hope to breathe. "What's... what's the name of your daughter?"

"You don't know the name of your own mother? What has Hinawa taught you all these years," Alec chortles at this, setting down the pails at his side to impatiently reach for my face. "Come closer, sonny." Raising a shaky, wrinkled hand against my face, Alec peers into my eyes through the strong glaze of his glasses. A soft smile stretches across his face. "My vision is failing me these days... but your hair's always been a touch lighter than your twin brother's, Lucas."

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~oO0Oo~

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The next few minutes of the reunion pass in a blur. I've grown up losing half of my family, that I never even considered the possibility that I had other living relatives.

I had a grandfather.

I  _have_  a grandfather.

"You've grown into a young man," Alec says, watching me lift the pails of water for him and saying I suppose other praises grandparents say to their children, but I can't help but smile so hard. I don't think I've smiled this hard to anyone in a good week, and I'm almost sure I could keep smiling like this forever. This doesn't seem to bother Alec the slightest. "-ah! You have your mother's smile and your father's eyes. If you keep smiling like that, I'll bake as many dorayaki as you want!"

"You'll go out of business, Alec-"

Alec slaps me in the back. "That's  _ojiisan_  to you! I've done well enough in the business before you showed up. The dorayaki stand's very popular. You're lucky it's not open on weekends, or you'd be waiting until dusk in line just to meet me," he chortles, lumbering down the secret cobbled stone path hidden in the patches of dead leaves and snow. "We're not headed there anyway. Come see the village, it's just down in the heart of the woods - careful sonny, watch your step-"

"The village?" I say, now worried.

"Tazmily Village." Alec smiled wistfully. "Over seven years ago, a couple of me and the folks wandered around and somehow found each other in the woods. Almost like Destiny. We don't know how any of us got here, but each person remembered something different about their past, one fellow recognized another fellow until we realized that we knew each other, and we all put the pieces together." A string of warm, unlit lamps bob through the tree branches, and a cluster of cozy log houses pop into view. "We must be refugees from a lost dimension."

"What do you mean?"

Alec waves his hand impatiently to the side. "Lost. Gone. The corners of Smash City are filled with forgotten characters. But whatever disaster happened in our world, we're happy now. It was rough to make a fresh start, but I don't think any of us would have it any other way. The best part is that the village is located near the heart of the city, so it feels more like a nice, safe neighborhood than a village. Convenient, eh? Come come, Lucas, let's show you around-"

Before I can ask him more questions, I hear the sound of a hammer clanking at a nearby blacksmith shop, and his face brightening up once more, Alec points out all the villagers in the area. Some were noticeably absent, having found work elsewhere in the city, but a sizable number remained. Bronson the Blacksmith, Bud and Lou the twin act comedians, Nippolyte the gravedigger, and (coincidentally) a dreamy-looking girl named Nana who had stayed home sick from school.

"Lighter and his kid must be out. Fuel goes to school in the city now, so Lighter must be out chopping wood to fill his fireplace- yes, I live right here, you can set the pails down inside, the door's unlocked," Alec says when we approach a far-off cottage by the edge of the forest. When he closes the door behind us, we follow a crooked dirt trail down south to a clear meadow next to a field of sunflowers, their stalks shriveled from the winter chill. "And here lies good ol' Scamp. We don't know how his grave ended up here, but it's how we knew this was the right place to settle down. There's another gravestone up further ahead, a pretty one, but no one knows whose it is -"

But I know even before I wade through snow soaked meadow.

I know, because it's the same person I've been thinking about since New Years Eve.

Crouching down to wipe the snow off the gravestone with a finger, I can't help but give a broken laugh that sounds more like choked sob. Of course. Next to the sunflower fields.

She's always right where she loved to be most.

"Hi mom," I say, struggling to keep the tears from leaking with a smile. "I'm home."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

I was hesitant to share news of my mother's death when it sobers Alec up, but he pats me on the shoulder and says that he's had a good feeling she's been gone for a while. I'd wanted to keep her death a secret so that he could live without sorrow, but the old man turned surprisingly firm on wheedling the truth out of me. When I tell him the truth, my grandfather doesn't cry.

His shoulders only relax in relief.

"Thank you, Lucas," he says, squeezing me in the hand and watching mom's grave with serious eyes. "I've assumed for a while... but I'm glad to finally gain some closure. Thank you."

Still, the news was hard to tell, especially since I decided not to tell him about Claus's apparent death. Not yet. At least, not until I regain my lost memories and figure out what really happened to him. Besides we have more time to catch up later, I think, as we end up baking Japanese nut bread side-by-side in his cottage.

If it was any consolation, I gained another person in my life who could relate to the ordeal of losing someone precious.

But my visit is cut short when something chirps with a notification. "Scuse me," I mumble, taking the bread out of the oven and reaching into my pocket for my phone. At the same time, several messages bombard my phone in successive  _ping_ s.

 **Nuss 4:51PM**  
Hey Luke  
r u free

 ** **Lookas**  4 **:52PM****  
Yeah  
what's up?

 **Nuss 4:52PM**  
requesting backup  
dPatrol shift  
2 idiots wreakng havoc dwntown n forcin me to overtime  
track me

"Looks like you've got somewhere to be," my grandfather says, his eyes crinkling behind his glasses, and I give him an apologetic wince before fumbling for a pen and paper.

"This... this is my hotline," I say, clumsily teaching Alec how to call someone with his home telephone. Having never touched it before, Alec looks astonished by the contraption as if it's never existed in his own house before. "Call me if you need any help. Even if I can't be there, I know some people who can-"

"They beep," Alec exclaims, trying to push the "Boop-Ons" himself. He laughs when he pushes one. "How cute! When you press the little boop-ons, they make the strangest noise-"

"Buttons, ojiisan. Then you press in my number-"

After a quick test call to my own cell and saving my number as a shortcut, much to Alec's cry of delight ( _I can hear you across the room! Hello, Lucas! This is... is this Lucas? Ah, you young-uns and your magical self-phoons... I'm growing old. Oh! I can still hear you!_ ), I regretfully hoist up my bag. "I'll visit the village whenever I can," I promise.

"Visit? No Lucas, YOU continue on your quest. Find out why everyone's lost their memory, and see if we can regain it. I don't know how you forgot about me or the village, but tell your father next time to visit," Alec rebukes firmly, watching me struggle to carry all the tasty treats he's stuffed into my bag. "How you two ended up all the way in ONETT of all places is baffling. And loaded with debt too in such a short time! I'll ask Lighter about any open positions and send in a good word for your father. Flint won't have to worry about rent if he lives here. But your old man doesn't have to worry, not when he has a son like you. You do your work well. One day, you'll be rid of the debt. You'll be a celebrity loved by thousands of people."

"Ojiisan, I think you're making this up."

"You work hard. You'll be all right, I know you will," Alec huffs, reaching over to pinch me in the ear. "Don't forget about us, now."

Making a promise to call him on the  _boop-ons_ , I journey out of the cherry blossom forest.

Halfway there to Ness's location, Samus calls.

"Lucas," she says, sounding urgent. "We need you on scene. Where are you?"

"Trying," I grunt, struggling over a garden hedge with whatever air is left in my lungs because my Google GPS sucks and told me to take a detour through someone's backyard. "Be there in ten-"

"Are you running on foot?!"

"..." Seeing as I'm trying to breathe, I decline to answer.

"Stay put, Fox is coming to pick you up."

On-Time his middle name, Fox's Arwing materializes overhead with a sonic boom that rattles my head. "Hop on, kiddo. Stop hedging around, we got no time to waste," he orders when I clamber into the copilot seat.

"Are we on a code red?" I gasp when Fox jams the thrusters on full, launching us into the air with so much speed that I can almost feel my skin ripple off my face. "I didn't receive an alarm from Master Hand-"

Fox grimaces. "No, no code red. It's not a DANGEROUS case per se, just highly unusual-"

With a crackle of radio static, Link's face pops up on video. His grim voice filters through the Arwing. "Zelda's here. We'll corner the girl."

"Roger that. Ness is after the guy."

By this point, I'm out of breath, confused out of my wits, and have as many questions as leaves in my hair, but I'm starting to get a good idea of what's going on.

"Got it." Skyscrapers whiz past us - we must be downtown. Skidding down by a 7/11, Fox stops the aircraft to hover over by a sidewalk. "Out!" he snaps, and I've barely cleared the seat before Arwing takes off again, sending trees rustling in its wake.

I pull up the tracker on my phone. Where is- ah, Ness is located right here. Exactly where I'm standing. Great, now my equipment's malfunctioning. I look around for any sign of Ness, but it seems like that too is unnecessary when Ness barges into the scene like the understatement of the century.

Rather, I  _hear_  him first before I see him.

 _"BOOOST!"_ Ness screams from above me, his eyes wild and the bangs under his cap flying behind him like the hair of Medusa as he plummets like a stone from the sky. From the smoky trail he's leaving behind, Ness must have failed his recovery.

Without question, I slap my hands together in time for Ness's shoes to land right in my open palms in a mimicry of a gymnast flip. Grunting under his weight, I manage not to topple over thanks to my magic, and Ness recovers, double-jumping safely to the ground.

"Thanks," Ness says without a second glance, his eyes already off searching for some figure in the sky before he charges past the 7/11 to intercept his target with a thunderous scowl.

Unfazed by Ness's reaction, the measly 3rd-rate criminal beams with delight upon seeing me–another person who has yet to hear his quip–and finding the uncontrollable urge to introduce himself like all incompetent villains do, belts out his title like a proud wrestling champ. "My name is Gary Stu!" he announces, now flexing his ridiculous biceps and flashing off his Colgate-white pearly teeth in a dazzling smile. "With my infallible charisma, together with my partner in crime, Mary Sue, I willst take over the world by destroying canon pairings with my ultimate SHIP GUN-"

"Alright, that's enough from you, buddy. I'm tired, hungry, soaked to the bone, and NOW on top of that, working overtime because of you," Ness snarls, approaching him. I realize that Ness's clothes are sopping wet as if he landed in a water fountain, and wonder how long Gary's led him around the city in a wild goose chase. "If you're smart and gimme the gun, the police will let you off lightly with a slap on the wrist for disturbing the peace-"

"Away, mongrel! For I am more powerful than thee! OTP BLAST!" Gary Stu cries, whipping around to blast Ness in the face with a huge flurry of hearts. Sputtering and flailing, Ness falls back onto his rear.

"Aha!" Gary Stu finishes triumphantly. "Nowst you will fall in love with any character of my choice-"

...is how far he gets before I twist him over by the wrist, disarm him, and knock him into the ground.

"Next time, spare us the soliloquy," I deadpan, digging my knee into his back until he slumps back against the street in a daze. This gives Ness enough time to come round, staggering over to my side.

"You dope, how many times do I have to tell you. THAT BLAST DOESN'T WORK ON ME BECAUSE I'M ALREADY IN LOVE," Ness says exasperated, sliding on a pair of Chrom's handcuffs onto our miscreant. "Now stop shooting every Mii you see with love beams. We're confiscating the gun, and the police can figure out what they wanna do with you."

"Curses! I have been defeated! Mark my words, my OTP will reign supreme once more-"

"Yeah, yeah. Tell me something new." Glancing at me, Ness breaks into a small grin. "About time. I was wondering when you were gonna haul your lazy ass off the couch."

"I figured these were back into play," I say, flipping the gun over.

"You purposely let him shoot me, didn't you."

I smirk. "I might've."

"You jerk, he could've shot himself with the CLONE ME blast, and then we'd have another batch of bad OCs running around the city. You're lucky he's such a dimwit," Ness grumbles, prodding Gary Stu back up. "Hey, mister. How many of these guns do you own anyway."

Gary Stu refuses to answer. "I am too perfect to be arrested! I will take over the world! MY OTP WILL REIGN SUPREME!"

"Two," I say, the flash of his thought clearer than day. "His partner in crime has the other."

Ness's grin widens down at the sulking criminal. "Perfect. Then we'll take these guns away so you can live your fantasy in peace."

Despite taking Gary Stu down, it takes an extra half hour before the police arrive on scene. In all her grace, Zelda debriefs the police on what happened, we hand over the evidence, and Fox points out several nervous eyewitnesses who were able to support Zelda's words with their testimony. As our names are filed into the police report, Link gives me a small nod next to his fiance, sweaty but relieved, and when the police return the armed goods back to us, we watch them  _WEE-OO_  back into the distance with the weight of two extra Narcissists in their back seats.

"Last time we caught Gary and Mary Stupid, we gave their guns to the police," Ness says after a quick shower, sinking halfway into the couch exhausted out of his mind, and I stuff Gary's SHIP gun back into Ness's bag. Master Hand can figure out what to do with this later. "The police must've let them go with a warning and returned them anyways because the guns were that dumb. Seriously, you have no idea how many bad OCs and Plot Bunnies I had to fight because of this gun. Then Mr. Stupid had the nerve to sicc a Writer's Block on me to increase my lag time for his get-away. Fucking travesty."

"Plot bunnies?" I stifle a laugh.

"Trust me, just be glad that you weren't there. The sudden A/Ns were the worst part, they popped up at random moments-"

_**A/N: ALL HAIL SHIPPING! GARY STU WILL TAKE OVER THE WORLD ONE DAYYY** _

Furiously tearing off the huge banner off the chapter and stomping on it for good measure, Ness wipes the sweat off his forehead with his arm. "That's the last of that."

Remembering the horde of treasure I was bestowed, I take off my bag. "You want any snacks," I ask, zipping open my new stash of treats, and suddenly sitting up like one of Pavlov's dogs, Ness's eyes go round.

"Holy fuck, where did you get those?"

My grin widens, suddenly proud. "I baked these with my grandfather."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Contrary to all that is possible, time speeds up. Saturday night bumps into Sunday morning, and all too soon, I'm glancing at my shoddily-wrapped present and getting second thoughts about attending the Ice Climbers' party.

Everyone in the Mansion is invited.

Suddenly, I feel sorry for the restaurant that's hosting us. They have no idea what they're getting themselves into. Cramming over half the smashers into one place is like the equivalent of inviting a nuclear bomb to go off in the city.

Watching Shulk scream past us down the stairs in his tux and a cackling Ganondorf in high pursuit, I glance at the limos waiting outside. At the very least, with this many people attending, the odds of Popo planning anything illegal is probably negligible.

Probably.

"...Everyone is going to get shit-faced," Ness says out loud.

"But we don't have to."

With a growing grin as if to agree, Ness tugs me outside into the next limo. Albeit Popo's disastrous decision-making skills, the twins have settled on having designated drivers since alcohol is involved. I wonder how much Master Hand's judgement had been put into play as he too, mutters under his breath at the many Smashers crowding the backyard and mops sweat off his "forehead." It's clear that Master Hand is dreading the size of the damage control he'll face tomorrow morning.

 **"** **Remember, the paparazzi are on the prowl tonight. Minors, don't drink. Don't do drugs. If a stranger asks to cop a feel, say no. If you need backup, Chrom's on duty tonight, you all know his number-"**

"It's okay, Master Hand. Chillax," Popo says, cheerfully walking past him. "Last year, you threw a party for Mario and Peach's engagement in the city. Everyone had a blast!"

 **"-and we all know how that went,"**  Master Hand mutters, turning more gloomy if possible.

 **"hAHA! AnOThER pARtY? yOU aRE GeTTiNG sOFT, bROThER!"**  Crazy cackles, zooming over to give a hefty pat on his brother's back. Master Hand lurches over from the force of the blow.  **"hOW mANy sMAShERs dO yOU tHinK wILL gEt wAStED ToNiGHT?"** He begins counting, pointing at various smashers, and Ness looks visibly offended when Crazy counts him into the total.  **"-twEnTY-ThREE, hEY brO BrO, sHOUlD I cOUnT PoPO tWiCE? YeAH iM dOInG tHAT-"**

 **"When you return to the Mansion, check in with Tingle at the front desk so he can sign you off the list,"**  Master Hand says to all of us in the guise of a mother hen panicking over her chicks.  **"Move around in pairs if necessary, don't do anything to tarnish your reputation, and _Nevermind_ _IthinkI'vemadeaHUGEmistake-"_**

Once all the Smashers manage to convince Master Hand to stop panicking (a point which Samus made clear when she said that she'd whip us into line if necessary), the limos peal away from the backyard.

"You get drunk ONCE, and no one ever lets you live it down," Ness says somewhat crossly at my side, but when I have to bite the inside of my cheeks not to betray a grin, Ness glances at me and rolls his eyes with a grin of his own. But when I catch a drift of his lingering thoughts, and glance at the other smashers sitting around the limo, I have to mumble a "not here" when Ness's right hand starts to crawl closer to mine on the seat.

No PDA.

This was one of our agreed conditions. The Mansion shelters us, sometimes too much for our own good, but out here, the media is everywhere.

What we have is special.

What we have is nobody's business, but ours alone.

Quietly, Ness retracts his hand. I feel bad when he looks noticeably miserable, but he knows that we can cuddle later in the privacy of our apartment. Just not in plain view of everyone else. Not everyone in Smash City is probably accommodating, and I don't want to ruin Popo's birthday because some jackass in the restaurant decided to poke fun of us for holding hands. This is Popo and Nana's night to shine, not ours.

I slowly reach out to touch Ness's mind as if to make up for the rebuffal, but he withdraws, shielding his thoughts. He's sulking, a lurking discontent shifting in his magic when a musical spark lands on my arm. But after a pause, when he peeks back with a hesitant look on his face to check on me, as if worried that he's upset me somehow, I know that he'll be okay. Neither of us had much time to spend together this week. We'll have to make that up somehow.

I want to make Ness happy. I like Ness happy.

As if sensing my thoughts, Ness gives into a faint smile as he answers Toon Link's question about leaving the birthday gifts in the limo.

The trip doesn't take long. In half an hour, the limos land, and the doors open.

"I wanted KBBQ, but Nana wanted fish, so here we are," Popo says, looking pleased when he spots us dawdling at the entrance.

Stuck in the prime-time of dinner traffic, the Hylian restaurant -  _W_ _ealth of the Wild_  - is packed with customers. Occasionally, people gawk from the other tables when we stream in, but the staff is quick, directing us towards a large private room at the back. When the waiters take the remaining drink orders after all the Smashers have seated themselves comfortably on the floor, Ness's phone rings.

Ness groans. "I gotta take this, it's from my mom. Order a soda for me, okay," he says, clapping me in the shoulder before walking outside to take the call. When one of the waiters asks me for my drink, I ask for a coke and water before watching the other Smashers haggle over what to order. Hearing the sudden uproar on the other end of the table, it sounds like Link's sheepish order for raw gourmet meat has attracted attention.

Unsure of what to eat, I end up asking Toon Link on my left for advice. His ears perking up, Toon Link excitedly begins to list off his recommendations. Though I'm open to trying new foods, I scratch anything with snails off the list. I'm tempted to choose between  _Crab Omelette with Rice_  and  _Pumpkin Stew_  before Popo taps his glass in attention.

"Yo dudes, I'm gonna be honest, I hate long fucking speeches. But sadly, I'm eighteen now. Boring speeches are a part of adulthood. Still, I'll make it worth your while." Popo breaks into a smile. "I'm taking the year off for rehab."

Silence follows his words.

Then everything explodes into sound, Nana looking like she's ready to cry from joy, Link and Shulk roaring at the top of their lungs, Ike catching him in a headlock out of celebration.

"About time you shed your black reputation, Hero," Ganondorf sneers, but his eyes lift up subtly - apparently he too is pleased over Popo's decision.

When the roar dies down, Popo struggles himself out of Ike's headlock with a beam. "Thanks, guys. Anyways, that's that. Now, onto something cooler and more totally awesome. In my culture, we don't really celebrate birthdays - we like to celebrate milestones of our lives. But today, I'm gonna roll out a tradition of my own. Mario and Peach aren't here... which means me and Nana can do anything we want." A disturbing, mischievous glint enters Popo's eyes. "How many of you are under eighteen?"

Nervously glancing at each other, Toon and Mega Man slowly raise their hands. Half a beat later, Villager's hand hits the air.

Red doesn't bother raising his hand.

Drinking my embarrassment away in my cup of water, I'm hoping I can somehow blend into the wall and turn invisible. This is why I never liked parties in the first place.

Everyone laughs.

"Hey Red, you're underage! Raise your hand," Shulk yells.

"Lucas, you can't hide either," Cloud adds.

My stomach sinks. With what seems like a shared sigh, Red and I follow.

"You're all in. How do you become a free man? Simple - By taking part in my contest. No powers, no weapons, no Pokemon. If you lose, you're all paying for my meal.""And if we win?" Toon says stubbornly, his eyes already lit up for a challenge.

"If you win? Yeah bro, that's what I'm talking about!" Patting Toon in the back, Popo makes a gesture off to the side. "Ike, dude, roll 'em out."

Under the roof of hooting and catcalling, Ike hauls out several striped watermelons from a plastic  _Costco_  bag.

"The first person who can crush a watermelon between their thighs wins free dinner from me." Popo's grin turns positively evil. "Under one minute,  _stat_."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

UPDATE 12/6/18: happy holidays! No worries, Im werking hard on the next chapter :) in the meantime heres a lil DarkNus doodle to celebrate SmashU aHHH

_he's off to steal yo women_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Out of fun, I took a 16personalities test for both Lucas and Ness. Lucas is an INFJ - The Advocate. Ness is an ESFP - The Entertainer. I think this matches their personalities pretty well in this AU.
> 
> And a last heads-up: there's a chance we might dive into suggestive scenes next chapter. There's a reason sexual compatibility and money are ranked in the Top Ten reasons behind breakups in the U.S., and while sex isn't 100% necessary to keep a relationship going, teenage relationships in particular often go hand-in-hand with the former because of goddamn hormones. Don't worry, I'll let you know if we dive into M-rated territory if it happens, and I doubt it'll escalate to those levels, but for now keep an open mind about the possibility. Okay, awesome. :) 
> 
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> *Lucario is from the canon movie, Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, in which Lucario once had trainer named Sir Aaron.
> 
> *Mother 3 has yet to be localized in the US. Therefore, any genuine copies (aside from the English fan translation by Tomato and other fan translations) are all in Japanese.
> 
> *Despite popular misconception, most drug dealers DON'T approach people to initiate transaction. People seek out drug dealers themselves.
> 
> *As of mid-April 2018, despite media controversy blowing shit out of proportion, weed has been neither COMPLETELY proven to be medically beneficial or malicious by the scientific community (i.e. a lot of existing papers had tiny sample sizes, smallass R-squared values (low statistical significance), or conflicting experimental results to prove support for either side). However, getting moderately high is said to help relax some users (almost like a cigarette, except that cigarettes are widely known to cause serious health problems and nicotine addiction). Moreover, joints and edibles (e.g. weed brownies) are also more highly-concentrated than other outlets and not recommended for first-time weed users. Weed can also disrupt brain development before the brain stops growing (~until 25ish). TLDR; weed is like any other legal drug/drink - if you smoke, smoke responsibly.
> 
> *Fuel, Lighter, and the people Alec introduce Lucas to are all canon names of the Mother 3 villagers.
> 
> *The name of the Hylian restaurant is a play on the (excellent) game, Breath of the Wild. Any food on the menu or mentioned by Lucas are all real food you can cook in-game.
> 
> *The scoring on the FIST is loosely based on the current Korean College Entrance Exam, where you have to score at least ~97% on each subsection to have a fighting chance at admission at top colleges. In Korea, this literally means you can only afford to miss ONE question on each subsection, TOPS. I like to believe that Smash Uni follows similar guidelines of MERITOCRACY regarding college scholarships, which means that people are selected based on their academic performance and/or exemplary aptitude in sports, arts, etc.


	31. Lucas has Sex on the Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly what the title says ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Early Christmas! Enjoy this wonderful clickbait chapter! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ  
> If you need a refresher, the letter in this chapter is the same one Ness never sent Lucas in Chapter 17. It took a lot of debate, but I cut this chapter short, because the chapter flowed better this way. Happy Holidays! :D
> 
> UPDATE 12/24/18: BONUS MEEM  
> Have a Merry Christmas Eve :DDD  
> oOF enjoy my old derpy draws  
> -Nus is bored  
> -Nus decides to bother his best friend  
> -Nus wanna test Lookas's patience to the max  
> -Chaos and breaking the 4th wall ensues  
> 

**Dear Lucas,**

**You remind me a lot of Samus. Remember Samus? She's got blonde hair. She's super tall and scary, but she's really smart like you. I like talking to her. A lot of the guys in the mansion like talking to her too, but I think it's because she's attractive. They try to show off and do stupid things to grab her attention.**

**Popo's a moron. He keeps flirting with Samus. I told him to stop, but he only laughed and asked me if I was gay. Nana got mad and hit him over the head for that remark.**

**He's wrong! I'm not gay! I do think Samus is pretty. I just don't want to bother her!**

**Sometimes I think that I'm the only sane man here.**

**I miss you. Samus is pretty, but she's not you. I can't believe that she reminded me of you. She's nothing like you e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶I̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶t̶t̶y̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶.**

**Sincerely,  
Ness**

.

.

.

You'd think that after going on a date, these things come  _EASIER._

Oh man, they don't. They really don't.

The relationship kinda sorta happened. Just a "hey i think you're awesome" and an "okey" then  _kabOOM!_  Before you know it, you've leveled up and  _Congratulations! Your **CRUSH**  evolved into an  **eVEN BIGGER CRUSH**._

So while Lucas heads to the 3rd floor store with my list of suggestions, I distract myself to another serving of fluffy Japanese nut bread. I don't know what secret recipe Lucas's grandfather keeps for baked goodies, but I kid you not, this nut bread's fucking FANTASTIC. Looks like bread, tastes like cake. I think Lucas said that the fluffyness of the bread comes from adding loads of eggs instead of butter, but I'm too busy texting and stuffing the embarrassment out of my face to remember.

 **PSI Paula 6:28PM**  
Watcha doing? ( ^-^)_旦""

 **Nuss 7:35PM**  
Eating bread!  
debatn g if i wanna cook dinna

 **PSI Paula 7:36PM**  
Bread?! I wan some  
Please share !  
o(￣ ◇￣)○

 **FuckThePopo❤ 7:36PM**  
dude i f lucas gets me or nana a prez canu liek punch him4 me thnx  
ffs i jus want teh fuckin kid to njoy hmself tmmrw

 **& Donuts 7:43PM**  
Sorry Ness, I can't make it to Popo's party  
But I've found something of my father's that you should see. TO be frank, it's a little... disturbing.  
When are you free next week?

 **Princess🍑 7:52PM**  
Hello Ness❤️,  
Master Hand needs to know if you can bring Lucas to Winter Formal by tomorrow.   
He's still not keen on you breaking tradition, but don't let that deter you from asking Lucas out to dance, dear❤️  
Mario and Luigi send their greetings❤️❤️❤️

Like it always does whenever my feels betray me, my magic happily hops out of my hands as if on its own accord.

...I've never asked anyone out to a dance before.

My face flares up. Okay, so I  _might've_  asked Paula to chill with me for the past few Winter Formals. Maybe danced like a klutz with a couple of other friends. Stepped on more than a few toes by accident.

But a dance with friends isn't exactly the same thing as a dance with, you know... someone you like.

I watch the magic pop and fizzle off my hands in circles. If it counts, I guess Tracy's told me stuff about what normal teens do in high school - Outrageously flamboyant prom proposals. Boomboxes. Serenades. Flowers and chocolate. Obnoxiously large signs. Hopelessly romantic, but well-meaning gestures that I quickly shoot down. I know that Lucas wouldn't want to be dragged out into a spotlight, and as much as I love attention, I have no intention of inviting the press into our lives again to fuck shit up this early in the game. Don't  _Wah?_  me, I've seen the kind of scandalous headlines you guys love to post about Waluigi, and while the memes are beyond excellent, I want none of his rep in my life. Heh,  _Wah_ nt.

I've even gotten desperate enough to flip through Popo's prank gifts for ideas, but with all my romantic experience based off of Popo's stupid pick up lines, Nesscas Shounen-Ais, and Tracy's kdramas, I wanna flop onto my side like a fish outta water and rethink life.

When Lucas returns from the store with a classic 12 pack, I recognize the all too familiar  _Tripel Karmeliet_  seal. "Hey, that's a pretty sweet gift."

"Good. Marth had to flash his ID at the register for me, _"_ Lucas groans, now hauling the box onto the dining table to wrap it. "I feel like a cheapskate-"

"You are NOT a cheapskate. Cheapskate's like, going to the dollar store and buying a flimsy piece of shit for less than a buck," I say fiercely. "It's better to get Popo stuff he'll enjoy than stuff he'll toss away. Oh yeah, and I've covered you with a gift for Nana, so you're buying smart, not cheap. They'll enjoy the drinks together."

"I hope they won't be disappointed."

I think of the look on Popo's face last time we snuck out drinking, and laugh. "Oh buddy, they DEFINITELY won't be disappointed."

His empathy link prickles, and Lucas turns faint pink, humiliated over the issue of his own financial insecurity. Uncertainty laces his tone as he lowers his eyes to the table. "Listen, maybe I shouldn't go. I can barely afford to get them a good gift-"

"You don't HAVE to go. But from the looks of it, Nana and Popo just want everyone to have a good time... although Popo's idea of a good time's probably weed and booze," I scrunch my nose in afterthought. "I mean, don't go if you don't wanna, but they'll definitely miss you if you duck out."

Okay, you caught me. I'm hoping Lucas will attend. I'm definitely  _hoping_. While Lucas avoids parties like the plague, after being cooped up inside the Mansion grieving over his brother and struggling to balance life stuff with work, I think he'll feel a little better after a night out.

"I'll think about it. Either way, I'm not going empty-handed." This time, Lucas glances at Alec's snaccs in my hands, and his eyes turn just a little lighter. "Those are for you, by the way. Eat them before they go bad."

I throw him a salute. "Eating I can do."

When Lucas lets out a hum of agreement before turning back to gift wrapping, I steal another glance his way. Lost in his own world, Lucas scrunches up his nose as he crosses out a line in his birthday card draft.

Did I ever mention that he's got a pretty cute frown?

'Cause he does.

I scramble into the bedroom before Lucas can catch my thoughts, the dumbest grin ever plastered on my face.

The big question's been teetering on the tip of my tongue for a while. I just never found the right time to say it, what with the unspoken tension around Lucas's dad, and my untimely subjection to ballroom dancing slavery under Peach. She's the sweetest overseer, but woe behold the fool who fucks up and shows up to the dance routine underprepared. If that fool's you, then you'd better pray to Lady Palutena that Peach won't jump from zero to Bowsette, because she  _will._

Anyways, despite all the fuckery trying to wreck over our lives, I've been getting ready for this moment for a long time.

I know what you're thinking. And you'd be right. I love to procrastinate. If I went to school, I'd be that one kid who submits their homework into TurnItIn-dot-com five seconds before it's due. Yeah, that kid.

So when I prep ahead for something, then you'd best bet it's a pretty big fucking deal.

At the very least, I've been trying to get over my nerves. Smothering occasional bursts of magic out of my hands. Double checking that the letter's finally here from the shoebox at home, where I last left it. Practicing to myself in the mirror. Asking Mista Chompy for advice. Except there's one downside to reflections and squeaky dino plushies - they can't exactly give you feedback... Especially feedback on what to do when it feels like my magic's on fire and my chest's about to explode into a bunch of happy fireworks.

Still I decide to consult Mista Chompy, because he's one hecc of a listener and easy to prop up against my bed. "...What d'you say, buddy?"

When I squish him between my hands, Mista Chompy the Chomposaur lets out a happy squeak before furiously nodding along with his silly googly eyes.

He's got me good.

Then tonight it is.

I peek outside. From the looks of it, Lucas shouldn't take much longer to wrap his gift.

The best method is to be direct. Just spit it out.

Sweating up a storm, I shuffle over, my old letter on hand. "Hey, so..."

I've got this.

I'm gonna fucking  _NAIL_  this.

"Do you wanna-"  _AcK nO,_ _VOICE CRACK._  "-to... with me?" I squeak.

Lucas looks up, the very definition of confusion. "Sorry, what?"

"I said there's a fly on your shoulder," I declare, punching him in the arm. When Lucas ducks away with a complaint, my grin grows, cause he knows what's coming. "Two for flinching!"

Then it's like my rehearsal was all for naught, because we end up trying to slug each other on the shoulder like the biggest pair of idiots before unceremoniously faceplanting into the floor.

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter Thirty-One**_ ~

_**Lucas has Sex on the Beach** _

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* * *

I'll save the suspense.

I've been spoiled by my impromtu visits back home.

Turns out, Master Hand's idea of "safety in numbers" also meant stuffing a tsunami of bodyguards around our party. For heaven's sake, they've clogged up the nearest tables in the guise of regular customers, though their FBI-esque uniforms certainly aren't fooling anyone. Behind their barricade screams a crowd of fans and paparazzi trying to break through, hoping for a closer glimpse.

"Oh no," I groan when five bodyguards ditch their dinner table to rush over to my side, because I've caught sight of the person in charge of this particular team, and he does NOT relent. "Guys, go enjoy your food. It's just a phone call-"

"Your concern is our safety," Knuckles the Echidna announces with a grin, toting on his sunglasses to strike a cool pose. When one of the bodyguards whispers to him on the side, Knuckles amends, "Oh... Ahem. I mean,  _YOUR SAFETY IS OUR CONCERN."_

"Please? This is from my  _mom_ -"

Scowling, Knuckles prods me in the chest with one of his massive... knuckles. "Hey, no expectations!" As if to emphasize his point, he suspiciously narrows his eyes underneath his sunglasses. " _ESPECIALLY_  moms."

"He means  _No exceptions_ , sir," the same bodyguard mumbles to me, as if dying slowly from second-hand embarrassment behind his shades.

"That's right! No one sneaks underneath my radar. Not when  _I'm_  in charge."

"You're in charge? Where's Isabelle?" I say, baffled, glancing around. "I thought she was Chrom's second-in-command-"

"Ha, that's cause she was recently  _demoted_ to Villager's personal agent-"

"You mean,  _promoted?"_

I think I'm getting on his bad side. Knuckles squints at me. "Are you questioning my authoritah?"

"No, I'm just- argh, okay fine. I know Master Hand sent you guys to protect us, but phone calls with mom are a little uh, private. So don't follow me. Please."

"Don't you worry. We'll just walk right behind you!"

"That IS following."

"I prefer to call it  _STALKING IN ITALICS,_ " he proudly air-quotes with his fingers.

"...right. Well, you can't do that either."

"Do what?"

I wanna tear my hair out. "Knuckles, you knucklehead, I just wanna call my mom! I swear I won't go far, so gimme five-"

Knuckles high-fives me.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

So as soon as I skid out the guarded restaurant exit, I pull a fast one on them, teleporting onto the roof of  _Wealth of the Wild_. I feel a little bad for duping him, since Knuckles sincerely means well, but I'm just glad that Isabelle wasn't in charge tonight. I repress the urge to shudder. She never would've let me out of her sight. I'm calling it: Isabelle's definitely going places.

Turns out, shaking off Knuckles and his team of bodyguards wasn't necessary.

"Hey doofus, are you busy?"

Pretending not to notice Knuckles and his bodyguards crowding into the streets, I frown as my 'mom' calls me on the phone.  _"Tracy?_  Why are you on mom's phone?"

"Cause you wouldn't have picked up if I called you."

"Uh-" Utter pandemonium breaks out into the streets. I duck under the rooftop as a couple of paparazzi barge after Knuckles and co., no doubt hoping to sneak in a few pictures of the escaped Smasher. Oops. There they go. "Hey, not true! I picked up loads of other times-"

"-except for that time you ditched me for your movie date?"

I groan. "I told you I was sorry a thousand times. What more do you want, an apology card signed by Master Hand and framed by the President of Eagleland?"

"Chill out, I'm just kidding." For some reason, Tracy sounds nervous. Her voice wavers on the phone. "But are... Are you really busy?"

"Not really. I'm out drinking."

Whatever I've said seems to have returned some of her spirit, because she snorts, "You're  _so_  busted. I'm gonna tell mom-"

"Not me specifically! And don't you dare tell her about that day-"

"-right, the day you fucked up big time. I think this finally beats the time you B-Boy-ed off the kitchen counter like an idiot and almost broke both your arms." I can almost hear the familiar sing-song, the growing grin in her voice. She won't tell mom. I'm 99.9% sure of it. Sibling's honor. "Anyways, I called to make sure you picked up that stupid letter you forgot at home-"

"You texted me yesterday-"

"-and you're lucky I still work at Escargo. I get to use priority mail. Free of charge. By the way, I wasn't trying to look, but your letter's super sappy. Like, did you write it when you were  _FIVE-"_

"TRACY, WHY DID YOU READ THAT- Oh my god, you're  _so_  dead when I get back home," I hiss when she giggles, my face furiously exploding with heat. "That letter's not for you, dum-dum, it's for  _Lucas-"_

"I bet ten bucks Lucas is gonna barf when he reads it-"

"SHH-" More paparazzi flood out of the restaurant, obviously eager to catch me red-handed for breaking free of Master Hand's tyranny. "Okay, fine. Whaddya want, ya loser?"

"Loser?" she says sweetly. "Why, I just care about you, big brother."

"Sure you do," I grumble. From the looks of it, the bodyguards must've found a lead, because Knuckles spins my way in hot pursuit. "Tracy, I hate to cut this short, but if you've got something to say, you'd better spit it out quick. I've got some angry people on my tail-"

Tracy breaks into a laugh. "Again? What did you do now?"

"Hey, what d'you mean,  _what did you do now_ ," I say, offended, and Tracy pointedly pauses. "Okay, so I might've given them the slip," I confess, "-but give me a break, it's Popo's birthday. We're throwing him dinner at Wealth of the Wild, everyone's been invited-"

Tracy's exclamation explodes through the receiver. "Everyone?! No way! Then-" Tracy's voice hurries into a rush of letters. " _Can you get me Samus Aran's autograph?_ "

"Whu- You want Samus's autograph? Now?" I ask, baffled.

"Please, Ness? I sent a poster of her to you by mail and everything, can you ask her to sign it? She's always focused on whatever she does and never does press shows, so I don't wanna bother her, but she's just so cool and awesome-" Tracy cuts her plea off with the sweetest voice she can muster. "Pretty please with sugar on top? For me?"

I pretend to sound hurt. "Why don't you ever ask me for MY autograph? I'm cool and awesome too."

Tracy snorts. "You? You're my brother, you don't count."

"Hey, watch it. Your older brother can be cool too!" Tracy giggles on the other line, so I roll my eyes. "Fine, I'll get you Samus's autograph. Anything else?"

An undercurrent of unease shifts in her empathy link.

What is she hiding?

"...Nothing else," she finally says.

Right, Trace. And I'm a Mega Charizard X.

I raise a brow. "You sure?"

"It's nothing."

"Well okay... if you say so." I scratch the back of my neck. "Just text me if you need anything else, okay? I promise I'll pick up."

"Pinky swear?"

I crack a grin. "Pinky swear. I'm never too busy for you. Tell mom I said hi."

"...I will. Goodnight, Ness."

"Nerd."

"Pleb."

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~oO0Oo~

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Understandably, I'm stuck in hot water when Knuckles drags me back into the restaurant from the red shingle roof. Under the camera flash of the paparazzi (who try to paint me in the light of a mischievous rule breaker), I endure his grilling and apologize to each of the bodyguards, since I WAS the one who caused mayhem in the first place. But shortly afterwards with a sigh, Knuckles escorts me back inside, grumbling with the gem of a phrase,  _"as they say, you can drag a horse to water, but noOo you can't let it drink cause it'll get drunk and stuff and I don't condone drunk driving."_

Pretending to totally understand, I try to nod along with his wise words, which finally satisfies him enough to free him from his grouchy mood... though on the inside, I'm doing my best not to burst a lung from laughing.

Still as I swing back to the party, parts of Tracy's convo linger on my mind. She DEFINITELY sounded upset. Like she was trying not to cry. I guess calling me cheered her up, but I can't help but worry.

My little sister always texts me on her own phone.

She'd only call me if something big happened.

Goddammit. Did some jerk try to hurt her at school? Was it one of the paparazzi? Well, whoever it was, I'm gonna pulverize the lil fucker. They should've thought twice before bullying my sister.

Now that I think about it... Tracy never explained why she nicked mom's phone.

But all thoughts of Tracy flee when I slide open the door to the reserved room, because call the fucking fire department, it's gone all  _LORD OF THE FLIES_  in here. When the door clatters to a standstill in my hand, all eyes fly to the sound, and everyone freezes in place.

A voice breaks the stupor. "IT'S NESS!"

"Wha-" I manage, still taking in the scene of chaos.

The watermelons catch my attention first.

I kid you not, it'd be pretty fucking hard not to miss the pile of watermelons rolling around like bowling balls in a classy 5-star restaurant.

Then I spot the people sitting single-file on the polished wooden floor.

Sloshing himself around the sizzling scorch mark on the ground, MegaMan fizzles, irritably trying to shake out stray watermelon chunks out of his robotic arms. Next to him, Toon's face has turned red with effort, looking constipated from trying to (hug? give birth to?) a watermelon between his thighs. Red - of course - looks deadpan, a perfectly split watermelon lying in front of his snarky face, while in the air of someone resorting to desperate measures, Villager has reached for his own axe with a murderous gleam in his eye.

Most importantly, in the midst of all the Smashers hollering and hooting like monkeys, Lucas's eyes immediately fly to mine.

I don't need his telepathy to know that he's internally screaming for help.

Then time catches up with me, and the entire table  _ROARS_  my name, pushing me back inside.

"Ness!"

"Hey, he's under eighteen!"

"Toss him into the ring of fire!"

"Wh- Hey! What's going on," I manage to yell before I'm shoved to the end of the room, crowd-surfing over everyone's heads before I'm dumped unceremoniously onto the floor.

A watermelon rolls my way.

A foot planting the watermelon to a stop at my face, Popo grins, glancing at his timer. "Bro, you've got 45 seconds-"

"Forty-five seconds until what?" I say blankly.

"Ness, help us," poor Toon gasps, looking out of steam. He's so short that there's barely enough of him to curl around the watermelon. "Must...  _Crush..."_

"Crush what?" I glance at Lucas, but he looks like he's done trying... whatever he's doing, if at all, and frozen in place from stage fright. He shrinks under the eyes of the crowd as if he could hide behind his own watermelon. "What are we crushing?"

"Thirty-five seconds," Popo says with glee.

"CrUsH tHe WaTErMELoN bEtWeEn yOUr tHiGHs," rasps MegaMan, now pounding watermelon juice out of his ears. He's clearly exploded his watermelon or something, because the guy looks like a mess straight out of  _Splatoon,_  and Link helpfully hands him a damp rag to dry himself off.

"Why? Looks like Red's done it-"

"Not between his thighs," Popo sings, tapping his watch. "No powers, Pokemon, or weapons, my dudes. Twenty-five!"

"How?"

Creasing into the frown of someone deprived of his rightful victory, Red prods the split watermelon with his index finger. "Pressure point."

"Still doesn't count, bro! Ike, roll him another one- Fifteen seconds!"

"Why isn't anyone telling me anything-?!"

In response, Villager furiously signs a few choice words to me that might've included  _nitwit_  and  _your head is a watermelon_.

"Hey! It is not!"

"Ten-"

Deciding that my questions could be answered afterwards, grumbling under my breath, I grab my watermelon and squeeze. I have no idea if I can pull this stunt off, but I've fought shit debatably more terrifying than a watermelon.

I think I can manage.

"Five, four-"

This better work.

I'm gonna pretend that this watermelon is the most infuriating thing in existence. Easily, Lucas's smirk pops into mind.

...Imma pretend this watermelon is Lucas's stupid face.

"Three, two-"

_**CRACK.** _

Oh shit, it WORKED!

...aw shit, it worked.

Once the shell gives way between my knees, I wrinkle my nose. " _Gross_ ," I complain, trying to shake off the sticky juice dripping down into my socks in disgust. "Popo, I swear to god, you'd better have packed spare clothes-"

Then all the smashers go fucking WILD.

The Smash kids - save for Lucas and Red - throw themselves on me, yelling themselves hoarse and almost sobbing with joy when Nana decides to treat everyone underage to free dinner. On floor duty, Kirby sucks in a tornado, causing shattered pieces of watermelon to fly into his mouth and clearing up the mess.

"WE HAVE A WINNER," Popo crows, teary-eyed from our victory. "WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER-"

Expecting to receive the greatest praise or magna cum laude of watermelon cracking or whatever, I hopefully turn to Lucas and-

Fucking wide-eyed, he's gaping at me as if he's never seen me before.

Oh, I forgot.

He  _totally_  heard that thought.

"Hey, your face was the most infuriating thing I could think of," I protest as a cheering Nana orders another round of beers for everybody.

Apparently, that wasn't the only thing that had caught his attention.

As if trying to swallow down something stuck in his throat, Lucas's eyes flit to my legs, lingering on my calves.

His face turns white.

"...You're not human," he says with a fervent conviction, and I slug him on the shoulder with a fucking pleased grin. It's not everyday yo boy can boast that he crushed a watermelon between his thighs after all.

"You okay, bro?" Popo asks, checking in to clap Lucas in the back, and when Lucas breaks into a relieved nod, Popo grins back like the shithead he is before checking on all the other contestants and handing out menus and disposable wet wipes.

Then as the orders rush in, so do the beers, full and caked with foam to the rim.

In festivity, all drinks clink together as one.

_**"For Glory!"** _

The birthday party rages on.

Dinner erupts into the sound of laughter and talk. We for sure keep the waitresses and waiters busy, as food disappears in seconds, thirds, and in Kirby's case, tenths. Despite the jacked-up prices, considering that half the people around this table are fucking millionaires, cash  _rains_  down on the staff for drink requests of all colors, which flurry over from the bar: Cheap IPAs, Long Island Ice Teas, Irish Car Bombs, Jellyfish shots, Angel's Tits, and other provocative names for highball drinks. In a vindictive show of one wanting to prove himself a worthy villain even under influence, Ganondorf downs an entire bottle of blood-red wine while Cloud, Roy, and Shulk chant and yell  _cHUG CHUG CHUG_  like a group of teenage barbarians. A raucous bet sparks up between Samus and Lil' Mac over a friendly match of arm wrestling, with bystanders gambling and placing bets with real money, and with Robin estimating the time it'll take for either party to tip the scales. Pikachu brags of the number of children he has sired in the wild, of the one and only egg he's ever entrusted to a human trainer, and through Pikachu's body language alone, Red nods as if understanding something crucial. Right under Samus's nose, Bayonetta sneaks me  _sex-on-the-beach_  under the table with a naughty wink, before engaging Palutena in conversation, who in turn looks appalled at the sight of a drunk Phosphora cursing like a sailor and slut-shaming anyone with a V-neck.

Careful not to spill the drink, I take the _teensiest_ sip possible. Unlike hard liquor, which tastes like shit,  _sex-on-the-beach_  tastes fruity, like it's a golden delight topped with cranberries in a massive glass. My brain screams  _peach juice_ , but I know better than to indulge myself. Not after what happened last time. Not after my  _first-time-happy-_ _drunk_  rep, thanks. If drinking out with Popo's taught me one thing, it's that mixed drinks are a risky gamble to play. And while I doubt one drink'll get me wasted, I've played around with enough fire tonight. I don't trust myself NOT to cave into peer pressure, and the paparazzi are outside, ready to take any scandalous photos of anyone underage intoxicated and blow news out of proportion.

So I give Bayonetta a grateful nod before setting the drink aside.

From time to time, Lucas tentatively brushes against my mind. As if making sure that things are good. As if reassuring himself that I'm there. He doesn't look at me whenever he does, but I can feel his empathy link soar like a sugar high every time he pokes me, and I have to bite back a grin before poking him back. Because I'm glad that he's enjoying himself. Because I'm glad that he's relaxing a little tonight, that he's genuinely having fun.

His eyes are smiling again.

I think it's the first time I've seen that look on his face since winter break- wait no, back up. He had the same look on his face while talking about his grandfather yesterday.

Despite the shitstorm that happened over winter break... I'm glad that he's slowly feeling better.

Under the table, I reach for his hand when Lucas isn't looking and give it a small squeeze. I catch the barest hitch of his shoulders before I quickly let go to defend my pride from the freshmen, who laugh at Villager's renactments of my doofusNess during the watermelon contest. Somewhere during this time, Zelda demands to buy the minors special "safe" drinks just so they won't feel left out, and Link agrees, passing around giant glasses of Apricot juice and sodas.

"RESPONSIBLE DRINKING? HYES!" Captain Falcon approves, pounding Toon in the back when he chokes on his nonalcoholic beverage.

It's probably about ten at night, right around when Lucas murmurs to me how bitter the last dregs of his drink tastes when Nana interrupts the talk with an announcement.

The girls are going bowling.

The guys, karaoke.

Afterwards, with Nana and Popo in tow, those of age decide to go bar-hopping to the famous gay club in the city. A few others - following Link and Zelda's lead - retire back to the Mansion.

"Nah, half the people who go there are straight. It's a chill place to hang and have a good time- huh? Yeah, that's okay. If you're straight, they place a sticker on your hand so people know," I hear Cloud explaining to Ryu, clarifying his confusion about the club as Zelda takes a headcount of the people leaving and Link calls the limo drivers home.

Once the tabs are paid, underneath the boisterous bustle of everyone crowding outside, I catch Nana taking advantage of the distraction to throw herself at her brother.

"See you later, Popo."

"Sure thing, sis. Let's go bowling together another time."

She hides the growing beam on her face into her arm. "...I'm so proud of you."

With the softest smile on his face, Popo hugs her even tighter, like he owes her the world. "Happy birthday, Nan. You're the best," he says into her hair, looking perfectly at peace.

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~oO0Oo~

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Dark and flashing with disco lights, the Karaoke bar smells of cigarettes and sex.

The cigarettes, I can tell.

The sex? I'll take Popo's word for it.

"That'll be seven dollars per person so cough up, bros, I'm a poor fellow," Popo says cheerfully at us, before the man behind the desk interrupts him in broken English. "-oh, my bad. We pay when we leave. Cool! It's an additional 5 gold for the hour, so I guess we'll figure out the total later. Who wants refreshments-?"

"There are too many people to reserve one room," Marth says, eyeing the corridor leading to the bathroom with disinterest as the walls echo with other drunk people singing their hearts and tears out. Beside us, Ike cuts in to gruffly voice his opinion, offering to cover the entire Karaoke cost for everybody. "I say we split apart into separate rooms."

"Good idea- and IDs? Oh, uh-" Popo points us out. "Four, five... wait, the freshmen went home? I guess we only have two minors then-"

The man isn't impressed. "No minors."

"They won't drink. Right dudes?" Popo elbows me in the ribs, and I jolt.

"Huh?" When the man glares at me, shooting us a dirty look, I try to sound convincing. "Uh, yeah. Definitely not. No drinking."

It takes a while, but Popo haggles and wheedles the man, who eventually lets us reserve the nearest room after narrowing his eyes at me.

"It's a shame you can't party with the big boys until after a few months, Nessie," Popo sighs, shaking his head in sympathy as we leave the counter. "So sad. So very sad. Alexa, play despaci-"

 _"No."_ I've done plenty of stupid things in my life, but anyone who dabs in despacito is dead to me.

With the rooms having been designated, Popo and Roy make a beeline for the mikes into our room like the crazy drunk people they are, already flipping through the thick 3-ring binder of song content to search for their favorite artists. Laughing over everything, they stagger the cue with song after song onto the lit HD TV screen. At the front desk, Shulk orders another round of beers while settling beside Popo on the couch, Ike experimentally shakes the tambourine, testing out its noise and rattle. As we follow Cloud inside, Lucas accidentally stumbles over his shoes.

"You okay?" I laugh when Lucas bumps against the wall  _again_  in an attempt to stop himself from falling like a total ditz.

"Yeah thanks," he says, and I'm bewildered when he sounds... completely relaxed. His cheeks flush pink - probably from embarrassment - but for some reason, a voice in my head keeps nagging me that nothing was as it seemed.

Then the speakers turn on with the bright introductory notes of  _It's Raining Men_ , and Popo shoves the mike into my unsuspecting hands.

It's a little funny, singing along with drunk people, but it's like the hilarious kind of funny - the kind that makes me wanna laugh because god, everyone drunk in this room is so stupidly happy and so stupidly dumb and so stupidly friendly and drunk.

Grinning like an idiot, I do shit on Popo for his taste in trashy music -  _because who the fuck listens to Brittney Spears and Taylor Swift and PSY these days?_  - and Popo teases me back for logging in old sappy classics like Celine Dion and her  _My Heart Will Go On_.

While Lucas refuses to take his turn with the mike, I know that he's singing quietly under his breath, eyes bright, because I can hear his voice in my mind. He's not shrinking back from the noise, or awkwardly shuffling around and feeling out of place as I expected, but having fun in his own Lucas way.

"Dude, who cares if you can't sing? The point of karaoke is to sing horribly TOGETHER," Popo says brightly, and Lucas still declines the mike when  _aND I, WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOUUUU_ flicks on next. But like a good sport, Popo ends up respecting Lucas's decision to enjoy himself in the sidelines.

And me?

Oh, I'm getting ready for the  _real_  fun to begin.

As I predicted, the guys don't even last ten minutes in until the drunken cauterwauling begins. By the third song, Ike, Cloud, Shulk, and Popo are tearfully singing  _IS THIS THE REAL LIFEEEE, IS THIS JUST FANTASYYYYY-_ in a drunken daze, arms slung over each other's shoulders, and swaying back and forth on the couch while Roy hits the tambourine at odd intervals with absolutely fuckall sense of rhythm.

Muffling a laugh, I flash Lucas a look.

Then the answer to Lucas's relaxed shoulders makes sense when he responds by reaching for my hand in plain view. Surprised by the bold move, I let go, nervously glancing at the drunken chorus, but they're too drunk or too immersed in song to notice.

I'm pretty fucking sure Lucas said no PDA outside the Mansion.

No. I'm  _very fucking sure._

I can't help but frown. The alarm bell in my head clamors more insistently, much more loudly in my head that there's DEFINITELY something out of place when Lucas brushes against my mind again.

Fuzzy. His mind's slightly blurred on the edges.

Dropping out of the chorus, I grab him over by the shoulders. "Hey, look at me." As if sensing the serious tone in my voice, someone must've paused the music in the background, because I can't hear Bohemian Rhapsody bouncing off the walls anymore.

Confused by my insistence, Lucas does. He slowly blinks.

His eyes are glazed.

Then it hits me. The drinks at dinner.

He must've accidentally mistook the glass I set aside for Zelda's apricot juice.

Before I can voice this realization out loud, Popo beats me to it with a loud laugh.

"Holy shit, Lucas, you're totally buzzed!"

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

"Don't worry. He's just buzzed, not drunk," Ike reassures me while Popo cackles like a madman in the background, tickled silly by the thought of LUCAS of all people getting tipsy tonight. "Lucas, how do you feel?"

"I feel fine."

"Yeah, he's just buzzed. He can talk and think pretty clearly. It'll wear off, so make sure he drinks water when he gets home-"

"I don't feel any different," Lucas insists, but now fresh out of giggles, Popo shakes him by the shoulder.

"Lucas, bro. If Ness said you had  _sex-on-the-beach_ , Wealth of the Wild puts a shit ton of vodka in it. It's WAY more boozier than the weaksauce stuff from a lotta other places. I know, it sure as fuck doesn't taste like it, but you probably couldn't tell because of all the sugar and tropical juice." When Lucas looks mortified, Popo's smile eases up into something gentler. "Hey, dude. I believe you. You're definitely not drunk. But I'm sure the Karaoke Bar peeps won't be happy seeing someone underage buzzed. And since we've told the man up front, I bet you don't wanna play along with my fake ID-"

"I'll take him home," I say firmly, and Lucas tries to lift my arm away.

"You can stay. I can call Chrom-"

"Nah, I was about to call it a day. We'll teleport home."

With promises to call Ike if anything went wrong and to text Cloud once we arrived home, Lucas and I hobble out of the Karoake Bar together, trying to pass as sober underneath the man's suspicious gaze.

Once we're outside, I'm telling the bodyguards where we're headed when Popo catches me, stumbling outside the bar.

"Ness... one moment, bro." Popo sluggishly pats me on the back as Lucas watches the neon signs of the city flash in dumb awe. "Before you go, I just wanna... wanna say- I really am sorry for that day. For outing you," he says, and despite his tipsy state, he sounds more than remorseful. "Genuinely. If I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat."

"Thanks," I say, touched. "That means a lot, coming from a fuckwad like you."

"Then I'm glad it did, you lil shit." Popo grins. "Hey, Nessie. Stop by my place this week. I need your help with moving out before I leave for rehab this Saturday."

"You're  _what?"_

"Yeah. It's all thanks to this guy right here. Well, mostly my sister, but bro... let's say he's done his share." Popo clumsily ruffles Lucas's hair once, and oblivious to who's doing what, Lucas blinks at the towering skyscrapers in response. "He's a tough nut to crack, but he really does mean well."

"He does," I agree.

"I'm right here, you guys," Lucas says, and we laugh.

With a last wave, we leave Popo behind at the Karaoke Bar and teleport to the Mansion lobby. Peering into our faces as if to make sure we're not doppelgangers sneaking into the Mansion to steal valuables, a paranoid Tingle checks us in after a vigorous fingerprint and eye screen.

"You were supposed to be the fucking voice of reason," I complain when Lucas catches the tip of his shoe over the metal detector and stumbles to the stairs. All that liquor seems to have made him  _clumsier_  and  _more trip-prone_ , if possible.

Lucas lowers his eyes in guilt. "I didn't know it was vodka..."

"I know you didn't. That was my fault. Sorry." Worried, I brush a strand of hair from his face. "How do you feel now?"

"I feel fine. I think I feel more... loose, but I still feel the same. My face feels a little hot though."

"That's because you're buzzed. Thank god you didn't get wasted like me," I say fervently.

"You did get pretty wasted back then," Lucas agrees.

...okay, I'll bite. I'm curious. "How was I drunk?"

Lucas groans. Like he's said, if I hadn't picked up the subtle signs, like the way his shoulders aren't slumping or how he seems totally at ease, I wouldn't have known that he was buzzed. Lucas just looks more comfortable in his own skin. "You were really hyper."

"I was?"

"Yeah. You kept wriggling around and talking in double speed when I dragged you upstairs to the hospital ward. I swear you were trying to hug every fucking thing that moved-"

"Not true!"

"So true."

I puff up my cheeks in denial. "So is this the part where you confess your undying love to me, and I run the fuck away from you in mortal terror?"

"You forgot to add in the weeks of awkwardness and fakedating that followed afterwards," he suggests.

"Oh my god. Then the rumors from the fucking fandom and the  _press_ -"

"-where Popo says that I'm supposedly a wimpy little gold-digger-slash-trophy-wife, and you're a no-good two-timing jock who likes to flex his own muscles in the mirror-"

"Hey! I'll have you know that the muscles on my muscles are offended by your blasphemy," I say, feigning hurt, and Lucas has to turn his head away to stifle his grin. "What? What're you smirking at  _now_ , you goof?"

"With all the flexing you apparently do, it's a wonder why you haven't flexed the muscles in your brain."

Of course. The buzz doesn't stop him from roasting me with his fucking comebacks.

He ducks with a laugh when I get fired up, grabbing for his head with a playful scowl. "Oh, very funny. You wanna duke it out right here, right now? Let's go! One on one match, in the arena, no items-"

"...look nice."

Brainfreeze. Stopping dead in my tracks, I gawk at him in disbelief. "What does?"

"They are."

 _"What_  are?"

"..."

"Wait I mean it, tell me- Hey, stop speeding up, ya dork _I wanna knowww_ -"

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Lucas refuses to meet my eyes and stubbornly continues walking away. Even from here, I spot the bright red blush spread across the back of his neck to his arms.

Though I have no idea what the fuck he's said, his embarrassment makes me grin wide like a giddy idiot, because it reminds of how he'd fluster whenever I caught him accidentally tripping over his own shoes. Or of how he'd run for the closet or hide under his desk whenever he got upset or embarrassed and refused to come out until he was ready to face the world again. Or of how he'd punch a sore spot away from my shoulders whenever I complained, or did little acts of kindness without telling me like a good ninja Samaritan.

Then I try pretty fucking hard to imagine Lucas ballroom dancing on the stage under the eyes of a bajillion people, plus all the over-socializing and boring adult fuckery that goes on in those meets, and the laughter dies in my throat at the thought of Winter Formal.

Winter Formal.

The cheesiest dance ever. On air. In public view.

...He'd be so fucking miserable.

And while I won't force Lucas to tag along, I  _have_  to attend. Events like this have been mandatory for me since the beginning of time. No matter how hard I begged, Master Hand had leaped at my throat, saying it'd be unfair to excuse me from Winter Formal when all the single ladies like Samus and Fox were forced to attend. I was given two hard choices: Either I drag Lucas into the spotlight, or I find another ballroom dance partner before February - a  _girl_  for tradition's sake.

I don't wanna dance with anyone else.

I wanna dance with Lucas.

Unable to hold it in any longer, I stop in place, and grab him back by the arm. Sparks pop and fizz between my fingers. "Hey, do you..." Another spark explodes, sending a warm tingling into my palm. I swallow down my nerves with a grin. "D'you wanna see how I almost broke both my arms in Melee?"

"...What?"

I can't help but laugh at the delayed - but horrified -  _what crazy thing did you do now?_  expression on his face. "Kidding, but let's head back first. I wanna change," I say, slugging him in the shoulder.

We race each other to the dorms. On the way, I bump into another unexpected pair of people along the carpeted stairs. "Oops, sorry-"

Correcting Zelda's balance in his arms like a fucking hero, Link breaks into a sheepish grin at the sight of us, too dazed for words like he's basking in the halo of an afterglow.

"O-oh... Kids! Excuse us," Zelda flusters, her face pink for a clear reason other than the weather. We watch them hurry away with as much class and dignity as possible, their hair and clothes unusually messy and disheveled.

After a few seconds, I voice the obvious. "They totally  _boned."_

"I'm guessing we shouldn't tell anyone."

"Gladly." I pause again, only to grin and poke him repeatedly in the side like a cheeky lil fucker. "Hey, Lucas. Did you see them just now? Ha, they totally  _BOWNED."_

Lucas groans when I break out laughing like a dick at his expense. "You're so immature."

 _"You're_  immature."

"No,  _you."_

"I am so, totally, obviously more mature cuz I'm older than you-"

We bicker the rest of the way to the dorms.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Two glasses of water and a change of watermelon-free clothes later, Lucas promises to drink more tea when I flail and fret over him. Teleporting straight to the Penthouse, we huddle against the railing, watching the whole metropolitan light up like the universe's biggest nightclub. I'm glad we dressed out. It's pretty fucking cold for sweater weather.

My fingers debate back and forth over the old worn letter in my jacket, over the Winter Formal proposal I've planned tonight.

You miss all the shots you don't take.

And yet, the words still stay stuck on my tongue.

The thought of asking Lucas out to the dance - just like  _THAT_  - really intimidates me. There's something about Lucas's eyes that intimidates me more than the cameras, more than even the fucking press, because whenever we cuddle and hold hands and steal stolen kisses behind everyone's backs, oh fuck it  _EVEN NOW,_  I forget all the words and my nerves shoot a hurricane of butterflies up my throat.

Lucas lays it out, simple and straightforward. "...Something's bothering you."

I jump from the boldness of his words. I'm not sure if it's the buzz speaking, I'm not sure if it's BECAUSE of the buzz he's gained the courage to say stuff on his mind without a microfilter, but buzzed(?) Lucas pulls back no punches. "How'd you know?" I sputter.

Lucas suddenly finds the skyline interesting. "I don't," he says quietly. "But I can sense your thoughts if they get noisy enough, and I figured you'd tell me when you felt ready."

"How much do you know?"

"Just that you've been bothered by something for a while."

"It's not like  _you_  aren't," I mumble. "You lost your fucking brother. I tore you apart from your dad-"

"No, you didn't. I chose to leave."

"If it weren't for me, you could've stayed."

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have found another family."

Suddenly, my chest aches. It hurts to breathe, but I try to smile because I don't want to dump all my woes on him. Because on second glance, Winter Formal sounds like a really stupid thing to be worried about. "Lucas, no matter how you try to look at it... My problems are pretty small compared to yours. You can't deny that."

As if reading my mind, Lucas hesitates. His voice softens. "Your problems are valid too. Just as valid, if not, more."

"Ohhkay, I think you've had enough to drink there, buddy," I say, and we end up cracking up a little. Just a little, because this whole  _ **your**  problems are worse, nO  **YOURS**  ARE_ is just a really dumb and stupid thing to argue over.

"Really."

"Well, I'm glad that you care about my struggle over choosing between chocolate milk and two percent for lunch tomorrow," I bring up cheerfully, and Lucas groans.

"Maybe except that." After we spare a few seconds to enjoy the joke, Lucas lowers his head and shuffles over. "Do you... wanna share what's on your mind?"

"You first."

The city lights glimmer like fireflies. It's just the two of us here.

We're alone.

Flustering like an idiot, I reach for his hand. My stomach does triple somersaults when he meets me halfway as if realizing the same, loosely interlinking our fingers by the pinky. My other hand worries over the corner of the letter stuffed in my jacket.

"There's-" When his voice falters, Lucas tries again. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Yeah? About what?"

"My dad."

My hand freezes over the letter in my jacket. I can't possibly give this to him. Not when he's suffered so fucking much because of me.

I can't do this.

I can't do this to him.

"What about your dad?"

Face pink, Lucas refuses to meet my eyes. "He found out over winter break. Someone tipped him off when I brought you over to visit my mom. He had photos. I thought we were careful, but I guess the paparazzi slipped through-"

"It's okay, you don't have to explain. I get it," I say reasonably, because we've had this talk before, about the PDA, and I REALLY don't mind, but then Lucas furiously shakes his head like that wasn't the point.

"He- the fireplace, and I lost-" As if the shame's eating his voice up alive, Lucas barely finishes his sentence. "I lost all of your letters."

It takes a few more seconds for his words to sink in.

And then, a few more to make the move.

I swallow hard. "Not all of them."

When Lucas looks up, I slip the worn out letter out of my jacket. Unable to look Lucas in the eyes, I offer the sealed envelope to its rightful owner.

Fuck me, I'm scared. The ratty-tatty piece of paper in my hands is more than just a silly 13 year old's scribbles and drabbles. It's more than a just silly 13 year old's fears and confessions, of the time it all really began, of the time it just clicked, of the time I missed my chance to say the words earlier because I was too young and scared and confused to seize the moment.

This letter's my whole fucking heart.

My hands are almost trembling as badly as Lucas's.

Then slowly, I feel his fingers ease the envelope out of my hands. I hear the envelope head pop open, hear paper rustling as he tugs out the letter to read whatever piece of me my heart has bared.

He's holding my heart in his hands.

For the first time in my life, I'm shaking so badly like I've caught hypothermia. As stupid as it sounds, I can't help but second guess myself, even after how far we've gone.

What if he decides that he doesn't like that piece of me?

What if he decides that he doesn't like  _me?_

"I- I know. We're trying this out, and things... well, things haven't always gone the way we've hoped-" I take a deep breath. "But I really do love you. I know I say it a lot. I know it can get really sappy and annoying, but I mean it every time. You don't usually say stuff like this out loud so I'm not sure if you still... if you still feel the same way-" My mouth turns dry. I'm rambling, and I wanna find the off switch to my mouth, but I'm so mortified that I'm stuffing my face into my cap like I can stop myself from spewing out the words. "You don't have to say it yet! Don't feel obligated to. I'll wait for you until you're ready. So uh, if you- with me-"

The words get jumbled up in my mouth. Like he doesn't mind that I've devolved into a stammering idiot unable to string two words together, Lucas tentatively touches my face.

That shuts me up pretty quick.

His eyes flit to mine in an unspoken question. Another stupid strand of hair falls over his forehead. Under the night sky, his eyes glow dimly like windows to his soul as he waits for my response.

He doesn't need it.

I let him read my mind.

With a stupidly blank expression on his face, Lucas searches my eyes as if he's never seen them before. As he brushes against my mind like an underwater current, I can tell that he's trying to understand where my worries are coming from, trying to read the words stuck in my throat.

Our thoughts intermingle. His magic sparks in my face like hot New Years sparklers.

Then he kisses me.

Awkwardly. Stupidly.

It's fleeting, barely a tickle against my cheek, but when I gape at him, heat shooting up my face, Lucas's face has gone horribly red like someone's lit a fire in his own cheeks. Not looking my way, he swallows, and his face turns redder, if possible. "Oh shit, I forgot... the tea downstairs-" he begins, flustering to his feet before I grab him over by the face and kiss him for real.

Ha.

I fucking knew it.

He tastes like peaches.

When his eyes glaze over, his face so fucking gorgeous and intoxicatingly  _desperate_  that I want to kiss him over and over to remind him how much he means to me, he simply fumbles for my arms and kisses me back, clumsily, awkwardly, passionately.

Then I pull him over me, and we topple backfirst into the snow.

Oh yeah. I'm definitely gonna have bruises in the morning.

Sure enough, as if sensing the dull pain seep into our empathy link, Lucas reaches for me on cue, hands hot and sparking with magic, and I decline with a grin. I'm no masochist, but I decide that I like the bruises Lucas left up my arms from being all nervous and gripping me too hard, because fuck it, that's fucking hot. Of course when I point this out to him, Lucas turns a tasteful shade of cherry-red. Now it's  _his_  turn to sputter before pulling me over by the arm, threatening to heal me as I laugh and whine and complain through his stern insistence for me to  _PK Magnet, nOW_.

Watching him press his hands into mine, his magic blossoming and dissolving into my skin, I drink in his feelings with closed eyes and a content smile. It seems like he can cast his spells without much of a problem, so I'm guessing that liquor's fading from his brain, but I don't push it. I'm okay with this. I'm okay with stopping at kisses and cuddles and whatever else makes us both comfortable.

He's not ready to say it. He's not ready to say  _I love you,_  but it's okay.

Because he's trying his best to show me.

He feels the same way.

While he lies on the ground like a fallen snow angel, his legs splayed over the icy pavement, I reach for his face, because  _Hooray, his face is mine,_  I've trapped him between my palms so he can't hide, and I can feel his embarrassment  _flood_  into my hands. God, he's so fucking shy. "So... Is that a yes?"

Lucas's eyes flicker away. "...not for the main event, sorry," he admits, and his guilt ripples in. "But we can do something else for Winter Formal."

"What?" I complain, pulling back to squint suspiciously into his face. "Are you ashamed to be seen around me?"

"No."

"Is it the dancing? It's not too bad. I swear, no one's gonna care if we fuck up except for Peach-"

"It's not the dancing. I just... I don't get why I have to show the press and everyone else that I like you," he says, eyes trailing the ground in a defeated sulk of his own. "I'm not dating them. I'm dating  _you._ "

I close my mouth. I know where Lucas is coming from. I know how much he hates publicity. But this is a pretty big hurdle we have to jump over, because if we're dating for real, he might be forced to attend events with me at some point against his will. We don't have the luxury of dating discreetly from the world like normal people, because I'm one of the Twelve.

Hell, I might as well be  _married_  to the fucking cameras.

Still, I try to swallow down my disappointment, childishly puffing up my cheeks instead. "Aw man, but I  _really_  really wanted to dance with you-"

"We... we can still dance."

Talk about the understatement of the century.

Totally blindsided by the unexpected words, I gawk at him.  _"Really?!"_

"Outside the cameras. You'll still need to find an official dance partner for the night, but I'll wait for you after the show's over-" When I continue gawking at him - because you know,  _Lucas_  and  _dancing_  aren't words you'd expect to hear in the same fucking sentence - Lucas's face boils up. Suddenly self-aware, he stammers, "I-I know it's not the answer you were looking for, but if you're okay with it... I'm boring. A-and I don't dance. I  _can't_  dance. I'm really bad at it. I mean, I'm bad at a lot of things but- Sorry. I'll trip over you a ton-"

"hEY." Aghast, I sandwich his face between my hands. I can almost feel the heat radiate off his face. "Are you being mean to my friend?"

"I'm just shaying the troof-"

"NO, YOU TAKE THAT BACK." Scowling, I squish his cheeks tighter, doing my fucking best to squish the lack of self-esteem away from this very awesome person. " _DON'T BE MEAN TO MY FRIEND."_

"Sorry-"

_"AND NO SORRIES!"_

Then we're laughing into each other's mouths in the falling snow, because really, it's been so obvious from the start. It's always been us against the world.

We make each other happy.

We're happy together.

That's all that matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Chomposaur is an enemy in Earthbound.
> 
> *Knuckles in this chapter is based on his goofy Sonic Boom persona.
> 
> *Sex-on-the-Beach by itself is a pretty weak mixed drink (11% alcohol content versus the 20% in Long Island Iced Tea), but I amped up the vodka ratio in this fic.
> 
> *Almost all U.S. Competitive Ballroom Dancing tournaments require the lead and the follow to be a male/female or female/male pair (as tradition). 
> 
> *There are gay clubs/bars irl that mark you on the hand with a stamp at the door if you're straight - it ensures that you won't get hit on by the wrong people.
> 
> *The Smashers buy alcoholic beverages from a bar/restaurant in this chapter, but in real life, people (i.e. poor college students LOL) pregame beforehand with cheap alcohol, then go barhopping/partying. If you plan to drink out with friends, make sure you have a designated driver/Uber/Lyft. Stay safe!
> 
> *Karaoke bars in Korea are different from Karaoke bars in America. The latter will ID you, because they sell alcohol and because it's America. A fraction of people underage like Popo (though not underage anymore) get away with this by illegally buying fake IDs at their own risk (often ranging ~$80-100).


	32. What is Essential

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas catches up with Duster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aHH  
> its been a busy week >-<  
> please enjoy this slightly unclean and not very tasty cookie <3

It's done.

Master Hand's taken out paid meals from our benefits.

Though I've expected the budget cut for a while, my heart sinks at the updated  ** _Cost of Attendance_**  glaring up at me from Ness's TI-85 calculator. With the expanding roster and the upcoming introduction of Smash Ultimate, Master Hand has to cut  _something_  from our benefits. With over 50 fighters, funding meals isn't cheap, and the cafeteria's the easiest thing to cut from his costs.

Rent, utilities, taxes, and now, food. Another concern to add to my debt.

Thinking back to my vacation splurge over winter break, I can't help but wince at how much I've spent. Movie dates are out for a long time. Time to return to packaged ramen and old blueberry pancake mix.

Despite these changes, I don't complain. As an obscure game protagonist, Master Hand offers me a generous salary than what most people in my shoes can imagine, and while Smash favors popular superstars due to branding and networking, I get ( _more than enough_ ) attention.

If only I wasn't crippled by Porky's massive debt...

Still, as I pull up my bank account, the dwindling loan on my laptop makes me cautiously optimistic. I raise my eyebrows. Porky's never lowered my dad's debt before. Maybe he's finally had his fill of watching me struggle. Maybe he's grown bored of dragging me through hell and back to repay an impossible debt, a debt whose ridiculous interest Porky spikes up whenever he feels like it: a sum Porky demands that  _just barely_  covers the rest of my pay from paycheck to paycheck. Maybe for once, Porky is actually feeling  _sympathetic._

I doubt it.

I'll believe it when I see it.

But despite Porky's underhanded means, despite every illegal tactic he's pulled on me out of the book, I'm making visible progress. I'm slowly, but surely, crawling out of this hole called capitalism.

Just a little longer. A little longer, and I'll be free.

So I decide to drop the cafeteria meal plan for the upcoming year of the tournament. Free until now, I'm only surprised that Master Hand  _hasn't_  charged us yet for food with the likes of Kirby, King Dedede, and Yoshi already on the roster. While cooking takes time, it's a much cheaper alternative to meal hall swipes now. I could always mealprep on Saturdays, and cook enough to last me the week. And if worst came to worst, Ness could snag me something small from the cafeteria on desperate days.

Though knowing Ness and his unlimited meal swipe plan, I've got a suspicion that Ness would illegally try to smuggle out a  _treasure horde of food_  for me, stuffing his bag with fruits, bagels, entire loaves of bread, and icecream sandwiches if I so much as asked him for a square of packaged jam.

Recalling Tinkle's eyes bulging out of his head at the offensive rule-breaking monstrosity unfolding before his eyes, and Ness's yell of  _sHIT!_ _LUCAS, hE'S ONTO US, B_ _OLT FOR IT,_  I stifle a laugh. Ness goes overboard over the smallest things.

Today's no different. When I crack an egg on the stove and watch my french toast sizzle golden brown on the pan, Ness groggily rouses himself from what looks like another nightmare. Though upon seeing me, his expression brightens up, and clamoring for attention, he skips around the apartment from the shower to the kitchen, singing (untrue) improv renditions of Lucas is awesome, Lucas is the best! Though I don't say it, his cheerful compliments - as baseless as they are - do warm me up throughout the day.

When I finish washing my dishes and remind him to do the same, Ness sneaks over to steal my hand in his, pressing the flat of it against his cheek like he's stubbornly trying to make up for lost time. As he relaxes with a happy sigh, I try not to think about my face boiling up like an active volcano and watch the circles of his magic pop and fizzle up his damp hair.

He's recharging himself through me.

He trusts me.

Feeling the back of my neck prickle with warmth, I avert my eyes to the floor. If last night was any indication, if Ness's  _worries and thoughts and doubts_  were any indication, the things that I'd thought were obvious between us -  _the feelings I'd taken for granted_  - hadn't been so obvious after all.

At the risk of sounding insecure, I'm unused to showing other people how vulnerable I feel. I'm still struggling to wrap my head around the impossible idea of someone willing to wait for me, much less of someone genuinely  _liking_  me. Despite knowing Ness for years, I need time to open up, I need time before I can feel comfortable in my own skin and voice my feelings out loud and more. Lack of self-esteem is a frightening beast that doesn't disappear in one night, and intimacy of this kind only makes me more aware of my own flaws.

But after reading Ness's mind last night, I'm trying harder to express myself in other -  _comfortable_  - ways, because emotional validation makes Ness happy and -  _by extension_  - me happy. We've learned to compromise as roommates; as far as affection goes, this isn't anything new.

My palms turn sweaty. Someone help me what am I doing I have no idea what I'm doing who am I anymore.

I can't believe I said yes... to  _dancing_.

I shudder in horror. Ness is turning me into a sap.

But I can't seem to care.

Still I have limits on how far to stretch the cheese, and after waiting a few more seconds, pull my hand away. "...okay, that's enough. Go to breakfast," I say, prodding him aside before a betrayed Ness complains, reaching for my hands and demanding affection.

Today, he's been awfully clingy though, flitting around me in a passable impression of Navi's _"hEY HEY LISSEN."_

"You want me to bring you anything? Since you quit your meal plan and all..." he blurts out, anxiously watching me tug on my shoes like a worrywart. "I'm pretty good at sneaking food out-"

"I'm good, ate breakfast already-"

"Are you  _sure_  you ate breakfast?"

I glance at the sink. My clean plate speaks for itself.

Puffing up his cheeks, Ness is undeterred, thrusting a spare water bottle into my chest. "Well, take this, and make sure you hydrate yourself during the day-"

"Okay-"

"-and remember, you have a consultant meeting with Duster at one-"

"He changed the time to two-"

"-and don't forget to feed Rope Snake. He got really cranky when I accidentally stepped on his tail today-"

"You're running late," I interrupt, requesting Rope Snake to curl up with a light tap of my hand. Complaining sleepily, Rope Snake does, rolling up into the size of a snail shell like a rubber band before I pat him into my pocket.

When Ness tries to stall me at the front door, I cut to the chase with a smirk and ruffle his hair to distract him from his worries. This successfully brings out a protest of  _hey!_  and a deathglare, but not before Ness dives over to mess up my hair with both hands.

I guess I deserved that.

Through what is probably a painful smile, I try to fix my hair into something somewhat presentable, disgruntled, and Ness proudly puffs up his chest like a little git. Ness can pull off messy hair, but I'm not Ness. It takes me forever to brush my hair without looking like I rolled out of bed with a bird's nest stuck on my head.

"Are you  _sure_  you'll be okay?" This time, Ness is a little more tentative, tagging along my heels like a puppy when I pull on my shoelaces. "Did you drink enough water? Headache? Hangover?"

I brush his hand aside. "I'm okay. Go eat and warm up for your brawl."

Round-eyed, Ness watches me like I'm about to keel over at any second. He's been worrying over me ever since I had _Sex on the Beach_  last night. "You could always use another sick day, you know Master Hand pays you for those-"

"I'm not sick. Really. I'd tell you if I was," I say firmly, reaching for the door knob. "Anyways, if you can go to work after getting full-on  _plastered_ , I'm pretty sure I can handle a glass. A lot of people drink here, Ness. No one's gonna care that I accidentally got tipsy last night-"

I freeze at the crowd huddled outside our dorm room. As if they've been waiting all morning to prove me wrong, Smashers of all shapes and sizes look at me expectantly, wielding peptobismol and heating pads and other healing aids of the like as I fall dumbstruck for words.

Then a cheerful Kirby waddles forward, thrusting out a gigantic bowl of chicken soup into my face with an offer of " _Poyo?_ "

Sweating, I bolt back inside and shut the door to Ness's look of  _see, whaddid I tell ya?_  "...On second thought, taking that sick day doesn't sound too bad."

* * *

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~ _ **Chapter Thirty-Two**_ ~

_**What is Essential** _

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* * *

I almost regret not taking that sick day.

Almost.

For the whole morning, a different smasher flocks over during their free periods to ask how I'm holding up. Pit offers to "pray the alcohol away" with Palutena's blessing, before declaring that a hot spring would be the perfect remedy for my nonexistent hangover. Escaping from the cafeteria in a blatant show of stealing food, Ike randomly drops a heavy platter of meat into my arms before trying to bribe an indignant Tinkle to look the other way. Even Cereza, the mansion's  _CAT_ , wraps her tail around my leg with an incessant purr and refuses to let go until I'm forced to run to my next brawl. By the next hour alone, I've responded to over a hundred variations of  ** _are you_   _sURE you're okay?_** , been fed enough water to satisfy a starving camel, and been stuffed with so much chicken soup that I've probably eaten all three meals of the day for the  _whole_ _week_  combined and feel too sluggish and sick to give anyone a proper fight in any of my brawls.

While I appreciate their concern, and appreciate that their concern comes from a place of good intentions, slowly, throughout the day, these offers of free food and kind words wear down my pride. I don't need charity. I don't need to be babied. I don't  _want_  to be babied. If plenty of teens have tried drinking at 16 - Ness accidentally downing  _several_  bottles of beer at 17 no less - and lived to tell the tale, then I'd like to think I can handle  _a_  glass. I'm just as capable of telling people when I need help, and  _if_  I need help. I'm sixteen, not six.

Of course, this doesn't stop Ness and everyone else from fretting and panicking over me like mother hens that've lost their heads in a zombie apocalypse.

"Ness, I'm  _okay,"_  I respond like a tape recorder on repeat when he opens his mouth  _again_  to ask me about my welfare in passing. As if digesting this information for the first time, Ness finally quiets down.

Then he pipes up with the most innocent voice possible, "...Period pains?"

The bugger cackles off like a hyena when I chase him down the hall.

I think my snark's rubbing off on him.

On the other hand, this flood of fretting from friendly Smashers opens up more ridicule from the not-so-friendly Smashers. After my second brawl, I unfortunately bump into Wario -  _or more specifically, Wario's stomach_  - who seems to be more than happy to relish in my misery.

"Wah! Well, if it isn't Widdle Wucas," he jeers, and I want to internally groan at my bad luck.

"Don't you have other things to do?"

Apparently not. Wringing out every last drop of my humiliation for all it was worth, Wario mocks me with classic cliche 20th century bullying phrases like  _nerd_  and  _loser,_  and showers me in his best imitation of a baby voice before snickering under his breath like he's said the wittiest thing in the turn of the century. At one point, I catch a glimpse of his wide mouth and regret it. There's something moldy green stuck between his teeth. I think it's spinach. Ew.

I'm a firm believer of choosing my battles and of not stirring the pot, but obviously in a nastier mood than usual, Wario looks more than ready to push that line. Assaulting my ringing ears with spittle, Wario escalates his harassment to the point where I'm ducking to avoid becoming an unfortunate victim of his wet willies, when someone gladly interrupts the one-sided exchange.

"Got room for a third?"

I've never been so relieved to hear that voice.

Wario whirls around, curving his serrated teeth into shark-like grin. "WAHA! If it isn't the-a lovely Bayonetta. WAHt an honor."

"What no good games are you boys up to?" Bayonetta looks my way with a frown.  _"...You_  don't look like you're having fun."

"Can't say that I am, no," I say wearily.

"Wah! What're ya gonna do, tattle on me? Well good thing your babysitter's here, ya big baby," Wario guffaws, picking his nose. "Bayonetta, you're losing your touch. I don't get-a why Ashley fawns over-a you-"

"Well now, Ashley's a Little One. You on the other hand,  _shnookums_ -" Without breaking conversation, in the blink of an eye, Bayonetta blasts the booger off Wario's finger with her bullet arts, narrowly singing the tip of his glove, and Wario jumps. Her grin widens into a wicked curve. "I harbor no reservations. Now do I have to remind you twice not to act like an uncivilized pig, or will you walk away with your tail between your legs?"

"wAH," Wario snaps indignantly, waving a fist her way. "WAHtch it, ya witch. Yer-a breaking the rules-"

"Rules?" What seems like a hungry gleam enters Bayonetta's eyes. "My dear...  _witches don't follow rules._ "

Glancing at the smoking dud in the wall, Wario sneers. "I waHsn't doing anything anyway. Bunch of no good teacher's pet sissies-"

"Tell the big boys I said hello, little man," Bayonetta says sweetly, fluttering her lashes in a mocking manner. His pride torn into a million shreds at the jab to his height, Wario grumbles off, stewing in his foul mood and jostling me aside.

As soon as Wario vanishes around the corner, Bayonetta kisses the smoking barrel of her guns. "Mmh! I love these babies."

She's awesome, Bayonetta. Beyond awesome. "Thanks, you saved my hide again."

"From what? That cobswobbling swindler? I had a hunch he was going to outstay his welcome. He's been mighty sour ever since Luigi denied him a wedding invite." She flips her guns back into her heels with a sultry wink. "Missing the mark - such a damn pity. My aim was off by a milimeter... but what can I say? You can't  _always_  hit the G-spot."

"G spot?"

"Oh, that's-" Bayonetta pauses, and I catch a stray memory, a flash of Master Hand rebuking her for her vulgar language around minors. "...Little one." she says instead, fumbling for something else in her heel. "There are two things I detest most in this world. Cockroaches, and-"

I can't help but smile. "Crying babies."

"Exactly. And I'd rather not see Ness crying because you threw up later in the evening." With this being said, she flips a can of soup into my hands, and my face burns. "Now, my own mother once told me that this is good for hangovers-"

"Oh no," I groan. "Not you too-"

"Oh yes, me too. Lucas, you've got some explaining to do. I have no idea how you had  _Sex on the Beach_  last night-"

"But-"

"No butts! We're talking about you having Sex on the Beach, you naughty boy-"

"Bayonetta,  _please-"_  I beg, spotting other smirking smashers spy at us at the end of the hallway. Bayonetta's DEFINITELY milking this moment out. Is this what Ness feels every time his mom embarrasses him in front of me? If so, then I regret laughing at him now. "Everyone's been fretting over me since this morning, but I'm  _fine_ , really-"

 _"- _Hush, little one_ \- now, pour this into a bowl, microwave it for three minutes, and then-" _In the blink of an eye _- _the guns sliding into her hands_  - _Bayonetta fires another warning shot behind her, and knowing better than to cross her twice, the Smashers flee like marbles. I feel myself fluster. It's not over. They'll tease me again later. "-eat this while warm. Not when it's too hot, or it'll burn your tongue off-"

 _"Bayonetta, what on Middle Earth are you doing?"_  interrupts a horrified shriek.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," Unfazed by Her Royal Highness of Wisdom rushing over to us in her midnight blue slippers, Bayonetta sheathes her guns back into her heels with a cheerful smirk. "I'm teaching Lucas a valuable life lesson on target practice. You're welcome."

Glancing first at me, then at the dilapidated wall, Zelda looks distraught over the new makeover Bayonetta's given the mansion. "A-Are... are you shooting  _children?"_

"If you count Wario as one, then yes. Taking out his teaparty grudge on other people? He's the saddest manchild I've ever had the fortune to meet."

"Bayonetta, fighting outside matches and property damage be a serious offense. This is the fourth wall you've peppered in a month-"

"You could say that I've broken the fourth wall."

I laugh. Amused as if proud of herself, Bayonetta looks at me through her hooded lids.

Zelda doesn't buy the joke. "Oh for the love of Nayru," she groans, slapping on a new  ** _WORK ORDER_**  form over the two bullet holes embedded in the wall. "The minute Mario leaves the mansion,  _you_  of all people proceed to be a bad influence. Do behave yourself. I don't want you in trouble-"

"You wound me, darling," Bayonetta says, drawing up a hand to her own chest in mockhurt, pretending to be offended. "Of course I behave. _In bed-"_

Looking mortified as if Bayonetta's let the F bombs fly, Zelda claps both hands over Bayonetta's mouth, cutting her off. " _Watch yourself_ ," she commands, aghast, as if I've been completely clueless to the fact that half the mansion's been swearing like sailors in my proximity for the past 3 years. "Bayonetta, we do not imply the three-letter S word around minors here. That is highly forbidden!"

Bayonetta looks bewildered.  _"Three_  letter S word? Why, do you mean  _Sex?_  But darling, I talk about sex all the time-"

Zelda explodes.  _"This fic is rated T-"_

I flatten myself against the wall and escape before either of them can notice.

About three brawls later, some harmless teasing from Wolf and Popo, and half an hour before Duster's meet, I trudge away from the mailroom in less-than-high spirits. Relieved to find the West Wing of the lobby devoid of people, I stop when the mansion quakes with a rumble of anger, and pull back one of the long red draperies from the windows. Ah. A thunderstorm. With what feels like detached interest, I watch the droplets chase each other down the window pane before melting into fatter droplets.

I wonder if it's also raining in Onett.

...I wonder if dad's out working again.

My chest constricts painfully from the weight of his newest letter in my pocket.

With a curious trill, Luma swirls through the air like a free musical note.

"Hello Luma," I say. In response, Luma twinkles and bobs in my face once before swaying down, snuggly settling himself into my hands. Instinctively, I close my hands around him. His magic warms up my hands like a shooting star.

Luma is here.

And if Luma is here...

"Greetings, Lucas," Rosalina brightens up when I turn to the fattest armrest by the window. As always, she's knitting something in her fingers, drawing another happy chirp from Luma, who tucks himself under her arm. "Ah, it is raining! I wish it would rain more on my planet. I'm quite fond of rain."

"I thought you were out for Luigi's wedding," I say, surprised.

"I'm here for the day. I am behind on my brawls!" Rosalina smiles. Something about watching her knit in a fat, cozy red armchair rings with serendipity, and I find myself relaxing in spite of myself.

A few minutes later, this is exactly how Samus finds us - idly watching the rain.

"Is this another meeting for Ded Mom Anonymous?" she sighs, pulling her helmet off to free her hair.

"Hitherforth! We  _should_  make a club," Rosalina suggests, waving her wand. "You could invite Ike, Marth, and half the roster to the list. That's not to exclude those with missing or forgotten parents - we must invite them too."

"I heard that you adopted Bayonetta last year."

"That I have!" Rosalina beams. "How ever did you know?"

"It's no surprise, Rosalina. You're practically everyone's surrogate mother." Samus finally tugs a tangled knot of hair free from her visor. "I swear, your influence is rubbing off on her by the day. Bayonetta seems rather comfortable in calling you  _Rosa."_

"Rosa is her birth mother's name, is it not? And Balder her sire?"

"I think so. She constantly says that she's the child of two parents who never should've met. Bayonetta's parents were of opposite factions," Samus adds to clear my confusion. "Think about your classic Romeo and Juliet story... but with time travel, guns, and an equally unhappy ending."

"But I'm glad that her parents did meet," Rosalina says serenely. "You can never have enough good moms and dads in the universe. Personally, I'd love to have a million!"

"I'd be fine with one, thanks, but she's dead," Samus deadpans.

"I can be your mom," Rosalina offers, and Samus frowns.

"Er... thanks. But I don't need another mom-"

"I am the mother of over a thousand children, what matters with adding a few more?" Already stuck in her own universe, Rosalina beams again, turning around to face us with the happiest look on her face as if she's stumbled upon a wonderful birthday surprise. "Oh, how fortuitous I am to be one of those who love you most dearly! It is a joyous occasion, yes? Samus, it is very snowy today, let me knit you another sweater-"

Samus's face turns pink. "That's very nice of you, but don't push yourself-"

"-and Lucas needs a new scarf to protect himself from the cold," Rosalina muses, and the Luma next to her spins around in equally cheerful spirits. "Recently, I heard that Earthlings can catch colds. You humans must run very fast...!" Rosalina ponders as if in deep thought. "...Or the colds must be very slow."

"Rosalina," I say awkwardly as the excited Luma flits around my head to take approximate measurements of my arms and shoulders. "I don't think colds work that way-"

"They don't? How curious. I wonder what colds look like, but I hope I never get to find out. Preying on the sick? They must be ghastly beings, no?" Rosalina says warmly, finishing her magical scarf and sweater. After tapping one end with her wand, she watches her scarf whirl around my neck of its own accord, then studies me with satisfaction. "There we go. For some reason, Lucas, you remind me of The Little Prince whenever I see you. How quaint!"

"Fits him perfectly," Samus adds, stifling a snort when I look awkward as heck bundled up in Rosalina's oversized sweater. I have no idea how she knits so fast, or how she makes all of her clothes feel amazingly soft, but I can appreciate the love and care she puts into them. As if drawing from the power of Rosalina's love alone, the sweater poofs up around my shoulders in a warm embrace.

"Now that you're wearing these, those colds can't ambush you from behind!"

Feeling my face melt, I try to hide my embarrassment by sinking into the fluffy neck of my scarf, and mumbling my thanks into it as if it can hear me. "...the scarf. And for the Christmas sweater-"

"No need," Rosalina says heartily. "Hmm... speaking of sweaters, I heard you got the tipsies yesterday. It seems like everyone gets them at this time of year... always right after New Years-" When Samus snickers, I want to die from mortification. "Maybe I should knit you another sweater-"

"Another sweater? I'd say that Mister Prince here already has his sleeves full," Samus teases, tugging down one of the sweater sleeves riding up my arms, and I give her an exasperated look.

"First Ness, then Bayo, and now you-"

Samus punches me in the arm. Strangely enough, she reminds me of someone... someone with bubblegum pink hair and a fierce smile. "Too bad. We're still gonna check on you anyway," she smirks.

"As I've said, I've adopted thousands of children. Adopting a couple hundred more won't change a thing," Rosalina adds, waving Samus's sweater over. As if to express his joy at meeting his "newfound siblings", Luma pops up at my side with a quiet squeal, and spins around in the air in a happy dance.

"And it certainly won't change the fact that Bayonetta wants to adopt you, Lucas. I've definitely seen the adoption papers she's got for Toon Link - the better question is, when  _doesn't_  she butt heads with Zelda over his "surrogate mother" custody? - and I bet she would've adopted Ness too... but you know, Ness already  _has_  a mom-" Tugging down her own sweater, Samus pauses in a rare moment of breaking composure. "The point is, pal... don't feel like you  _have_  to do everything by yourself. I know, everyone's been mothering you today, and you're more than capable of handling your fair share, but know that you're not always alone."

"I won't take on more than I can handle," I promise.

Samus tosses Rosalina a pointed look. I don't miss it.

Instead, Samus slumps into her own armchair with a defeated sigh. "Well pal, fair point. I won't force you to talk."

"I told you, Samus. I'm  _fine-"_

"You lost someone very recently," Rosalina says matter-of-factly, and I redden. She pauses, her knitting needles hovering over Samus's newest sweater of a Metroid. "...Was I too intrusive?"

"No, you weren't." I swallow, looking down at my shoes. It's too painful to look them both in the face. "I think... I think I'm getting over the loss easier this time, because I've always had a feeling he's been dead for a while. I just... never gained any closure over it."

Looking like she's swallowed something bitter herself, Samus gives me a gruff pat on the shoulder. "...you never really  _do_  get over it."

"...You're right. You don't." I force out the words when my throat threatens to close up. "You can't mend something that's been lost."

"Time won't mend the hole in your heart, but over time, that hole shrinks," Samus whispers.

I think of Ness, and how much time and patience he puts into making us work, and my chest constricts. "Sometimes I wish... I wish I never learned to love again. It only hurts everyone around me-"

"Yet you will love again, because it is the time you put into love that you can live." Catching my attention, Rosalina gently pats her second sweater into my arms. "My wand was a gift from my dear brother, so that I could bring magic into the life of others, and this telescope was a gift from my loving father, so that I can always see home wherever I go." With another wave of her sparkly wand, Rosalina summons something long and glassy, before offering it into my hands. " Pray take a look, Lucas. What do you see?"

I gingerly handle Rosalina's treasured telescope, making sure not to drop it. The windows rattle with a giant's handclap. Lightning flashes once,  _twice_  in the dark murky sea of clouds.

The thunderstorm's too cloudy to make out even the sky.

Doubtfully, I glance back at the window before peering into her telescope. Though I expected nothing, I'm strangely disappointed.

"I don't see anything..."

" _On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux._ " Rosalina softly brushes the hair out of my face, her fingers ghosting by like the shiver of a butterfly's wing. "It is only in the heart that one can see rightly... What is essential is invisible to the eye."

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~oO0Oo~

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 **Nuss 1:50PM**  
hey fam  
was thinkg abt movienite  
movie tickets expensive af lets stay indoors  
im debating b/w ToyStry3, Coco, or Over the garden wall binge this sat  
get a good fuckincryfest going n stuff  
what u in the mood 4

 **Lookas 1:52PM  
** dDon't you have patrol shift Sat and Sun?!

 **Nuss 1:52PM**  
yeah... but movie nite ;-;  
ok its decided imma watch riteafter m shift  
just  
idunno  
poke me awakr if I fall asleep or smthing

 **Lookas 1:52PM**  
Ness

 **Nuss 1:52PM**  
kinda leaning towrds coco cuz its on netflix butif u got ideas imall 4it  
yeah?

 **Lookas 1:53PM**  
Thanks

 **Nuss 1:53PM**  
hUH  
FO WHAT

 **Lookas 1:53PM**  
for everything.  
Really

 **Nuss 1:54PM**  
WOT  
IS THE WORLD ENDING  
AHHH /LUCAS SAID SOMETHING SAPPY ASHKSFJDFS  
totally gunna screenshot dis brb[

 **Lookas 1:54PM**  
Nevermind  
I regret everything

 **Nuss 1:54PM**  
OH OH I SEE YOU WALKING OUTTA DA LOBBY  
HI MISTER SAAPPY LUCAS :D

 **Nuss 1:55PM**  
LucaS?!  
HEY DONT IGNORE ME I SEE U RUNNING AWAY  
CMBK HEREULILFUCKER N TELL ME WHAT U WANNA WATCH

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~oO0Oo~

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"-'ve booked your practice matches for February. I couldn't get your first pick on the 12th, since brawls against Mewtwo run out quickly, but I snagged one solo against Lucario and another one against Ness. You probably know this by now, but the deadline to register for the Summer Tournament is coming up. Make sure to verify yourself by the 3rd month of training-" There's a rustle of paper as Duster flips over the clipboard. "-which is March. That'll give Master Hand an idea of who's competing for the Summer Tournament."

"Thanks, Duster," I say, my head still numb and fuzzy from Ness's headlock.

On the other hand, his tail twitching like a rattle, Rope Snake seems excited as if greeting an old friend, uncoiling from my pocket to curl around Duster's torso for warmth.

Much to his credit, with a steaming mug of coffee in his hands, Duster doesn't seem to mind. Except for an uncertain, " _uh, hello there. aren't you a fine snake?"_  (and Rope Snake eagerly rearing up, boasting of his own prowess in  _English_ ) Duster quickly gets over his initial shock  _("What? Did you think I was sssome dumb tree gecko," Rope Snake says crossly. "I'll have you know that I'm the mossst helpful friend you'll ever find-")._

If this didn't grab my attention before, it does now. Though talkative, proud, and far from shy, Rope Snake only speaks in English to people he's comfortable with.

My respect for Dusters increases twofold.

"As far as details about  _Ultimate_  go, they're pretty sparse, but Master Hand's released some important pointers you should know. Like with the start of  _any_  season - aka N64, Melee, Brawl- you'll have to redo your health exam, drug screen, running time, and shield test. Now, this next part has  _nothing_  to do with tournament itself - it's about the handheld video game features. It's a lot of information to swallow at once, but bear with me-"

Duster's not kidding. He summarizes everything from the Agents' meeting before flipping through page after page after page of paperwork, explaining and breaking down each sentence as we go.

My head spins.

"-going along with his theme of paying "homage to the original games," Master Hand's coined several people in memory as "spirits," which - along with stickers - are just fancy names for equips in the handheld game. He wants to add your mother as a spirit to the upcoming video game, to honor her memory in tandem with these conditions. Lastly, when Master Hand releases this new game to the stores, you'll be guaranteed a fixed percentage of the profit, TBD until March. This concludes the  _HANDHELD DEVICE AND FEATURES AGREEMENT,_  so sign here and date on the dotted line if you agree with the above-"

"What's the verdict for my final Smash?" I cautiously draw out, returning the signed clipboard back. "I doubt it's PK Love, Master Hand nerfed it in this universe-"

"Exactly, because Master Hand nerfed you the same way he nerfed Ness in this dimension. He denied your request. Your powers now will stay as is in the city." When I look disappointed, Duster pat me on the back. "Lucas, I don't know about magic... but from what I've seen, you'd need some otherworldly power to break that nerf... that, or special permission from Master Hand, neither of which has ever happened before. And as for other details about your Final Smash-" Duster scratches his head. "Master Hand's hinted in bringing two more people on board to help you with your PSI training." Duster pauses. The lamp light emphasizes the bags under his eyes. "Lucas, you look like you've got a question on your mind."

"Duster, when you met me for your job interview-" I hesitate. "Did you recognize me?"

"You  _are_  a celebrity-"

Catching onto the misunderstanding, I reiterate the question.

"...know you personally? I did. You and your family." Duster clears his throat with an awkward cough, and turns his head away. "I'm not sure if you remember... but you helped me when I got amnesia years ago. Afterwards, I promised I was going to help you save the world, but you ended up having to carry a lot of that burden on your shoulders. The Tazmily villagers- We've known that you've been here for a while. Despite how minor you claim to be, you're still a celebrity. You show up on the screens. Alec recognized you instantly the second he saw you fight in your first tournament. But when he said that you didn't recognize him last month, I figured out that something was amiss. I figured that you could use my help. Surprisingly, you hired me on the spot. Despite your amnesia, I guess a part of you still remembered me after all.

"Lucas... I don't know what you've been through, but you've done some incredible things. Incredible, amazing things. From afar, we've watched you grow up. We've watched you grow stronger. Whenever we watch you fight, there's no doubt why the elders call you the pride of Tazmily... even though some of the villagers resent you. Which I understand. We thought you were ignoring us. We thought you were too ashamed to represent such a small village and such a small game franchise. But now, I know. You've only forgotten about us instead.

"It's only fair that I repay the favor. I'll help you fight your amnesia in any way I can. But there's one problem..." Duster finishes, scratching the back of his neck. "-it seems like we've BOTH lost a good part of our memories. What do you remember about Tazmily?"

"Nothing much. Just that I grew up there-" I concentrate. "A lot of my earlier memories before Onett are hazy, especially somewhere around my mom's car accident and Claus running away to avenge her death-"

"-by challenging the Drago that killed your mother."

I pause. "I... I didn't know he did that."

"Trauma has ways of making even the wisest men forget their worst memories," Duster says gently. "Back in our world, Porky was notorious for treating everything and everyone under his hands as his own playthings. Snatching people out of different timelines, brainwashing his kidnapped prisoners, experimenting on people and animals alike for the sake of making something  _cool_... Porky's men abused the Drago that killed your mother. This is a fact."

"This entire time, I thought my mom died in a car accident," I say numbly, but Duster's input clicks into place like a missing puzzle piece. I don't know  _how_  I know, but I know that it's the right memory. Something big and green had killed my mom... something with the loud roar of an engine...

"I'm sorry I brought it up-" he starts quickly.

"No, I needed to know. I  _have_  to figure out what happened." I scrunch my eyes. "What else do you remember, Duster?"

"Hmm... Not much else to be honest." Duster takes a moment to count the memories on his hand. "My dad. The DCMC. The Egg of Light-"

"Egg of Light?"

"Sometime before the end of our world, it previously stored the memories of the Tazmily villagers. I think- when I touched it, that Egg cured my amnesia. If we find the Egg-"

"-we might be able to restore everyone's memories," I finish, excited by the new lead. "Do you know where it is?"

"No," Duster admits, and my heart falls again. As if sensing this, he quickly continues, "In any case, with Porky and everyone else landing in this dimension, it's got to be in the city... Even though Wess told me that you and Flint landed in Onett instead, which is unusual. Perhaps Flint might know something-"

"He doesn't. We didn't even know  _what_  money was until Porky tricked him into debt," I say, unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice, and perceptive to his character, Duster frowns.

"Porky tricked him?"

"I don't know the details. He won't say."

"Well... Money didn't exist in Tazmily until later, under Porky's influence," Duster admits. "So when we all arrived here - as  _refugees,_  Alec thinks - we had to start over everything from scratch... mostly. Weirdly enough, random pieces of Tazmily survived. As you've noticed, some of the cabins were empty, but intact with water and electricity. And Nippolyte the gravedigger recognized all the graves he dug - not a single gravestone was out of place. After whatever happened in the end, it was as if the village itself was  _waiting_  for us here." Duster shakes his head. "Sorry, getting ahead of myself. About Flint's debt, how bad is it?"

I tell him.

Duster turns slack-jawed from the figure. "Porky keeps jacking up the interest rate... And Flint  _lets_  him get away with it? I'm sorry, Lucas, but that makes no sense- _"_

"It's illegal, so if they get caught, they could both go to jail. Except that Porky's rigged the system, so he can probably bust himself out. I've been trying to pay the debt off for my dad, but we had a falling out. He recently returned my check for this month-"

"That's strange. That doesn't sound like Flint at all," Duster begins before I tug the letter out of my pocket.

* * *

l🅻🆄🅲🅰🆂

🆂🅼🅰🆂🅷 🅼🅰🅽🆂🅸🅾🅽: 🆁🅼. 1010, 1889 🅽🅸🅽🆃🅴🅽🅳🅾 🅶🅰🅼🅴🆂 🅲🅾🆄🆁🆃,

🆂🅼🅰🆂🅷 🅲🅸🆃🆈, 🆆🅾🅼🅱🅾🅲🅾🅼🅱🅾 🆆🅾🆁🅼🅷🅾🅻🅴 🅸🆂🅻🅴 00000🆇

🅲🅴🅽🆃🅴🆁 🅾🅵 🆃🅷🅴 🆄🅽🅸🆅🅴🆁🆂🅴 (🆄🅽🅸🆅🅴🆁🆂🅴 🅽🅾. 42)

_**[RETURN TO SENDER!]** _

l🅰🆃🆃🅽 🅵🅻🅸🅽🆃

🅰🅻🅿🅷🅰🅱🅴🆃 🅰🅿🅰🆁🆃🅼🅴🅽🆃🆂: 🆁🅼 420, 1234 🅰🅱🅸🆂🅸🅳🅴🅴 🅰🆅🅴🅽🆄🅴,

🅾🅽🅴🆃🆃, 🅴🅰🅶🅻🅴🅻🅰🅽🅳 420-2006

🆄🅽🅸🆅🅴🆁🆂🅴 🅽🅾. 19🆇🆇

* * *

"He'd rather go to jail than take my money," I say bitterly when Duster inhales audibly at the  _ **[RETURN TO SENDER]**_  stamp on the envelope.

"Again, that doesn't sound like Flint," Duster murmurs, pressing a hand against his face as he gives the letter another one-over. "Your father doesn't speak much, but he's a man who puts his family first. The man I know wouldn't force this financial burden on his own son. He... I don't know why he'd do this... and then he kicked you out, you say? I- Lucas,  _what_  did you do?"

"He didn't approve of his son being a faggot," I say stiffly.

"...So that scandal was true." Perplexed, Duster ponders. "I'm  _still_  surprised that Flint rejected your pay and kicked you out. And he told you not to return? Something doesn't add up right," he finally says. "Either way, I'm sure Alec wouldn't mind hearing about your circumstances-"

"Don't tell him yet," I say quickly. "Or anyone else. I'll tell them when I'm ready."

Duster nods, though his expression looks reluctant. "...All right. It's your secret to say." Watching a red-chested robin perch against the windowsill, Rope Snake tilts his head up in curiosity, and Duster glances back at me, his expression darkening. "Egg of Light aside... Do you plan on getting Porky off your back?"

"I'm going to put him behind bars for life."

"How?"

"By exposing his pedo ring." When Duster's expression turns harried, I quickly continue. "-along with other crimes. Ness already filed him down for the first, but we don't expect the case to go anywhere. Porky has connections with the Onett police force and local drug cartel. The case might be taken more seriously in Smash city once I gain evidence-"

"Porky's a dangerous enemy." Duster warns. "If you're going to expose him for a crime, you better have solid means of getting him arrested. Because the second Porky gets out, you'll be his first target."

"I'm as far up as I can be on his hitlist. I've got nothing to lose," I say dryly, and Duster's frown deepens.

"Nothing I'll say is gonna stop you, huh," he finally says, looking a little defeated when I stubbornly refuse to cave. I've caved in enough times under Porky after all. It's time that I stood up for myself. "Lucas, your brother went missing because he let revenge consume reason. Be careful that doesn't happen to you."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

The camera flickers, shifting to Shulk's POV.

Watching another one of Ness's flawless executions in the lobby, I feel a twinge of awe when I see Ness blast Robin with a fire blazing in his eyes and a dangerous grin on his face. He looks different on-screen.

It's not a question. Ness?  _Dangerous?_  Absolutely. I've seen him smack opponents five times his size into the air like a baseball. Un-Nerfed by Smash City and Master Hand, I've seen his magic blast through solid concrete, pepper opponents with music notes like rapid-fire bullets, and crush a car flat in one hit. With his empath powers, I have no doubt that if he'd WANTED to, Ness could've learned how to manipulate emotions, plant fear into people's minds, and drive grown men insane from depression. As a psychic of his caliber, he would've made a terrifying OP supervillain... if he weren't so compassionate. For as much as I tease him, Ness isn't someone to mess with seriously.

As I break down another one of Ness's brutal kills, debating over how I would've countered his offense, a something rustles overhead, covering half of the lobby in shadow. Like an overgrown raven, Dark Pit perches onto the nearest windowsill. "There you are."

With pleasantries out of the way, I decide to address the question burning on his mind. "Are you looking for Ness," I say without turning around, transfixed by Ness taunting a respawning Palutena with an  _okey,_  and Palutena returning the favor with her battle cry of  _yOU SHALL BE PURIFIED!_

"Please. I don't trifle in the business of mere mortals," Dark Pit sniffs, sheathing his twin blades, and I decide not to bring up his failed affair with Lucina the " _mere mortal."_

"He's not here."

"I'm not looking for him."

"..." I couldn't miss that stray thought even if I'd wanted to.

Pittoo catches the look on my face, then rolls his eyes. "Damn mind readers... And I thought  _Mewtwo_  was a pain with his telekinesis combo," he mutters, drawing his wings up to his shoulders. His dark feathers shine like oil on water. "Word on the wind says that you helped Popo out." When I protest that I really  _didn't,_  that I mostly stood there and listened, he snorts. "Right, and you expect me to believe that."

Now miffed that he doesn't believe me and my awkward antisocial quirks, I tell him that he's at the wrong place if he's looking for life advice.

"I said I changed my mind. I'm not looking for Ness anymore. I'm looking for you." When I continue to look stunned, Pittoo glares at me,  _"Yeah._  I want to talk to  _you."_

I blink off my surprise. With my background from an unknown game franchise, most people search for other smashers with expansive experience, networking skills, and solid connections for help. I meet none of the above requirements. As far as serious diplomatic questions go, the most people ask me is  _where's the nearest restroom_  and  _what's for lunch_ _?_ \- both courtesy of Ness.

"When you were leaving, I happened to overhear your convo with Duster -  _that's your agent, isn't he?_  Dunno why, but I've got the feeling you're looking for something rare. If you need a lead, you should try the Black Market."

"The Black Market?" I repeat. Fraught with members of an illegal underground trade, I don't think they'd take too kindly to Smashers snooping around, even as customers.

"Illegal? Ha. Where do you think Snake gets his drugs? Where do you think Ashley gets her potions ingredients? Where do you think Yoshi learned how to evade tax fraud?" Catching the look on my face, Pittoo's expression turns smug because I'm reeling over his words - _Yoshi evades **tax fraud?**  My entire life has been a lie_ - "Exactly. You just have to be clever about it."

I express my doubt along the lines of  _I don't fancy an instant death wish by the underground mafia,_  and  _you're making this up_.

" _Why would I make this shit up?_  - You should ask the witches. They seek rare potion ingredients that are hard to come by in this dimension alone. Not Bayonetta though-" he says, wrinkling his nose. " _Her_  kind doesn't dabble in potion-making. Try your luck with someone else. Maybe Ashley. She's off-duty today though, so you'd better catch her lazing around another time."

I catch the emphasis. "...You don't like witches."

"Ask Palutena. Hades knows, she thinks that  _witches_  are our enemy," he scoffs, crossing his arms. "Palutena's crazy. Mortals leave behind a higher carbon footprint on their planet, and leave more death and destruction in their wake. I'd say good riddance, except that  _we_  have to take care of all the fucking paperwork for  _their_  reincarnation. Fucking twats. And  _Pit_  thinks that it's our heavenly duty to take care of these fear-mongering murder-happy idiots." His eyes flicker to me. "Don't get me wrong, I'm only helping you out because you're a fellow clone."

"I'm not Ness's clone."

Dark Pit gives into a harsh laugh. "That's some hopeful wishing. Minus the minor tweaks, your powers in this dimension are exactly the same. What makes you think that anyone outside this mansion can tell you apart?"

I'm not interested in convincing other people.

Ness might be amazing on his own right, but I'm still my own person.

His wings flare up, drowning his face in shadow. Dark Pit's eyes seem to glow an intense gold from resentment. "That was Lucina's answer, right down to the bone," he hisses. "You'd think that all that time spent hanging around Marth would've convinced her that she'd never be an equal match against her  _Hero King_ , but Lucina believed that she could top the sky. She convinced me that I was much more than Pit's clone... she  _almost_  convinced me that we could make it work." His eyes dim from bitterness. "But in the end, I was a heavenbound fool. I'm an immortal, barely three years old, forever cursed to servitude, bound by Pit's fate and Palutena's power of flight. Meanwhile, Lucina's a queen-in-waiting already engaged to someone in her world. Obviously, I would've outlived her. I should've broken it off before she did. Now, I'm stuck with my best friend avoiding me and Palutena nagging me  _I told you so_  and Pit pitying me for breaking up with the one person who ever gave me happiness. And I fucking regret it. I regret it all-"

"No, you don't," I say, meeting his eyes. "You want to seek closure, but you're afraid of what she'll say. Lucina hasn't been avoiding you. You've been avoiding her."

Pittoo opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. For once, with his wings shriveled in and his back hunched, he looks pitiful, and I recall Ness's words - Pittoo wasn't at Popo's party yesterday. No one's seen Pittoo around except for his brawls.

Suddenly, Pittoo jerks his head up. His sharper hearing must have picked up something I haven't caught yet from the distance. "...you've got a guest." Pittoo raises his wings, studying me once before finally saying, "You're one batcrazy kid. That advice was shit."

Then he flaps away.

True to Pittoo's prediction, I hear the clatter of armoured soles, and Marth darts around the corridor. His expression brightens up when I see him. "Ah Ryuka, I was looking for you!"

I fluster. I'd forgotten about answering his request.

Before I can edge a word in, Marth plows through with his own excitement, waving his arms as if he's made a great discovery. "I was looking through your practice exam papers. You accidentally skipped a line in the English section and continued bubbling down the multiple choice section. So I corrected it, regraded it, and-" Marth presses my results into my hands, out-of-breath. "-updated your  ** _F.I.S.T._**  score."

I glance down at my results.

 **Lucas** :  _ **190**  _(breakdown: 110M_30E_20H_30S)

[CORRECTION BELOW]

 _ **Lucas**_ :  _ **450**_  (breakdown: 110M_290E_20H_30S)

Wow. I actually beat Popo's "420 blaze it."

This makes me feel a lot better.

At the very least, I now know that I'm not a complete idiot.

Uncertain, I shuffle my feet. After glancing at my exam scores, I can't help but feel  _more_  like an imposter on the roster. I'm not royalty. I'm not a Fire Emblem character. I don't represent a multimillionaire game franchise, see the cost of education like a drop of pocket change, or have parents who are well-off like Ness. While I plan to make the best of what I've been given, I can't help but feel like I've accidentally snuck in with barely minimum credentials, when legendary Smashers like Samus and Link and Marth and Mario are the norm.

Still, for whatever reason, Marth seems pleased of himself over my scores. "-also, I have reason to believe that your slow pacing was a major contributor to your absymal score-"

 _ **Absymal**_.

Oof. I felt that blow.

"-along with lack of study material, but this is a  _huge_  relief. This simply means that you aren't used to standardized testing! Both improve with practice, which undoubtedly you'll have no trouble with after due time-" Marth continues, and I wish that he didn't sound so excited. If I'd wanted to go to school before, the urge now is overwhelming.

But with my priorities set on finding the Egg of Light, translating my game comes first.

Regretfully, I have to turn down Marth's offer.

Taking in my explanation, Marth slowly nods. "Ah yes, your game. It is very important, I agree. So I was thinking... now that I have assessed your weaknesses on the _ **F.I.S.T.**  _and know what to work on... I can tutor you in both. For both Japanese and the  _ **F.I.S.T.**_  Of course - that is! - this is only if you are okay with the arrangement-" he raises his hands in surrender when I turn shocked. "You might like to take the test at some point, desu ne? Then I can show you my favorite study materials. We are very lucky to be living in the mansion, because we can find other prepbooks in the library for no money! Obviously this study prep will be your lowest priority, so you can look over the books whenever you find the time, but you don't have to start studying for the  _ **F.I.S.T.**_  now if you don't want to-"

"Want to?" I croak. "I'd  _love_  to."

Marth looks ready to cry from happiness.

Looking even more overwhelmed than  _I_  do, Marth stumbles over his English like a broken record as he goodnaturedly leads me to the library, and I grin, listening to him ramble about borrowing good Japanese prepbooks while we're at it.

Walking across the lobby to the elevators, we bump into a crowd of Fire Emblem characters streaming out of the nearby battle portals. Laughing and joking, they converse amongst themselves until they catch sight of us and fall silent. Despite the sudden hush, Roy catches my eye with a friendly wave, and as if understanding what's transpired with Marth, Ike gives me a thumbs up.

I note the stark absence of Lucina.

A figure steps forward, blocking our way. "Marth," Chrom says, though his expression turns stiff upon seeing me. "...and Lucas. I see you've been busy."

" _Ryuka_  is my protege, and you will respect him as such."

As if not wanting me to overhear his conversation, Chrom lowers his voice, and as if a switch has been turned on, Marth follows, switching to Japanese. They debate back and forth. I catch my name tossed into the mix, and fidget. I wish I can understand what they're talking about.

_"Nihongo wo oshimasu-"_

_"-_ _wakarimasen._ _Ryuka-"_

This draws on for a few more minutes.

Halfway through one of Chrom's heated sentences, Marth interrupts with a last word of his own. "Sumimasen, Chrom, but Lucas has some books to check out. Let us talk again when we've both cooled our heads." After a respectful bow, Marth turns my way, unusually tight-lipped.

Drawing himself up, Chrom barks after him, "I'm not finished-"

"Please. Not in present company. Later."

A hiss under his breath. ".. _.Kare wa okama da. Kare wa yariman-"_

Immediately, Marth lurches to a halt, and swivels around in place to face him. Any conversation has turned terrifyingly still. Whatever Chrom has said must been bad, because the rest of the Fire Emblem characters gawk at Chrom, their faces whitening from various mixtures of disbelief to shock to horror.

I can only imagine the expression on Marth's face.

Then Ike breaks the ice, his steady voice betraying an unusual undertone of anger. "You stepped over the line. Apologize to the kid."

Looking vastly reluctant to do so, but not in the position to argue, Chrom turns to me with a sulk. "...Gomen."

With a smile so forced that it's almost painful to watch, Marth squeezes my shoulder in an iron grip. "...Come, Lucas," he says instead, steering me away. A hidden fire in his eyes, Marth doesn't look happy anymore. I've never seen Marth look so  _livid_  before. Bewildered by the turn of events, I give a last glance back, watching everybody except for Robyn edge away from Chrom as if he were contagious with the flu.

"What did he say back there?" I say, struggling to catch up to him.

"Huh?" Breaking his fast stride, Marth turns around, forcing a smile. "Don't worry about it, Ryuka."

"I want to know-"

"...he called you an  _okama_."

"-Okama?"

The corners of Marth's lip tightens. "Crossdresser."

My heart sinks. "Oh."

"Very disgraceful. Robyn and I will be sure to give him a proper lecture for addressing you in that manner. As my Descendent, he should know better than to call anyone names. He shames me and my family. I apologize on his behalf." He gives a heavy sigh. "Let us make haste to the library."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

His matches done for the day, Red is nice enough to give me a ride, dropping me off near Sunshine Shrine. Waving him off, I watch his Charizard blow a tunnel of fire into the sky in farewell. Though he doesn't voice his thoughts, Red looks like he's been perpetually stuck in a slump, quietly drifting off over something in his mind. Since last year, he's seemed a little lost. He hasn't brought up the topic, but I wonder if I should ask.

After stopping by to speak to my mom, catching her up on everything on my end, I make my way through the black cherry blossom trees to Tazmily Village.

To my surprise, Alec is home early. His dorayaki all sold out by three.

"Hello, my grandson," he chuckles, ruffling my hair with his flour-coated hands. "You should've seen the stand today. I'm almost growing too popular for you!" His eyes brighten up. "...But I saved one for you. I always do. Just in case."

Though I only dropped by to check on him, Alec stubbornly shoves his dorayaki into my hands, threatening to bake me seconds if I turned his gift down or tried to pay him money. Refusing to hear my protests, he pushes me into the heart of the village to his house. With nothing else left for the day, I don't object.

By foot of the well, a surreal man stretched as tall as a house catches my eye. Tinkling a tiny bell in his hand when I try to put a name to his face, the tall man watches me pass like he knows more than he lets on, but doesn't say a single word.

I stare. "Who's that?"

"Who? The tall man? That's Leder." Alec follows by eyes and shakes his head. "He doesn't speak. He just stands by the well. The Villagers invite him to festivals and offer food at his feet, but I don't think I've ever seen him eat or sleep either."

From across the courtyard, Leder continues to stare at me.

Dropping my eyes to the ground, I hurry after Alec in the opposite direction.

Inside, Alec warms his cabin with smell of the fresh bread. Insisting that Caroline's recipe for nutbread is the best, he complains about his back before impatiently waving away my concerns.

Keeping my eyes on the dough in my hands, I hide a smile. I didn't realize how much I needed this family time.

We knead another loaf of dough, and watch it rise in the oven when he speaks up over his cup of tea. "My grandson likes someone, eh?"

Instantly, I cough on my water.  _"Ojiisan,"_  I say indignantly, my eyes watering.

"What? I want great grandkids."

"I'm  _sixteen,_ " I complain.

Alec snorts. "So? I got married at 18."

"That's because you're old..."

"Who talks to their grandfather like that, hah?" Alec pinches me in the cheek, and I protest. "Millennials. I thought Kurausu was the troublemaker, but you so disrespectful like your mother-! Anyways, I know you're seeing someone -  _Don't lie to me!_  It's on your face-" The tides turned, I drop my eyes in embarrassment, and Alec huffs, "When are you going to bring her over? Is she too shy to drop in and say hello?"

I think of Ness rambling. "Nope, not shy. Loud."

"Loud? Is that it?" Alec complains. "Ah, there's got to be much more than that-"

"They... They have black hair. And purple eyes. And-" Feeling my face burn, I shuffle in place with a mumble. "...they hug really nice."

"Black hair and purple eyes? Hugs you really nice? You sure like a strange girl," Alec chortles, and my face flares up in mortification. "Ah... When you were younger, you never turned down hugs. Claus would've always tried to beat you to it and hug you first... we had an old camera back then, there should be a photo lying around somewhere-" Alec  _hmms,_  digging through his living room before giving up. "...oh well. Is she Japanese?"

My resolve to correct his pronoun use dies in my throat. I've already gone through this conversation with my dad _._  As selfish as it sounds, I don't want to go through the same rejection twice. Even if it's for another day, I want to keep my grandfather around a little longer.

Feeling like I'm drowning in the deepest ditch of hell, I sink into my shirt. "No," I mumble, shuffling my feet. "Um, Ojiisan?"

"Hmm?"

"...What's a  _yariman?"_

Alec sharply turns my way with a frown. "Who taught you that language?"

"I read it in a book," I say quickly.

"It's a bad word. Don't use it to describe others." Before his reply makes my heart sink, the oven beeps, and Alec tosses on his mittens to take out a loaf of nut bread.

All too soon, I'm at the front door awkwardly balancing three loaves of nut bread in my arms. Alec stubbornly stuffs a dorayaki into my pocket, bidding me farewell and looking delighted upon listening to me say the same, even though I stumble over my lackluster Japanese  _("You'll remember it, Ryuka. Just focus on the vocabulary for now-")._

"You smell like cookies," Ness says, hugging me and inhaling deeply into my sweater once I arrive alone at the edge of the cherry blossom forest, and I relax in his hold. He's a welcome sight for sore eyes. Sunlight catches the surface of the Sunshine Shrine, the frost winking on its tanned earthy roof. Looking like he's had another long day, Ness lets go before he can crush the bread in my arms, glancing at my attire in disbelief. "-is... is that Rosalina's  _scarf?!"_

"Yeah, she knitted me a scarf and two sweaters today."

"No fair!" Ness puffs up his cheeks in outrage, grabbing for my outermost sweater of a knitted fox. "Gimme one, her sweaters are fucking nice-"

"Finders, keepers," I bite back a grin, tossing him a loaf of bread when Ness stubbornly clamors for something to carry. "Did you wait long?"

"Nah, I bought some fast food along the way. Drive-ins are the  _best-_ "

"You know we have to retake our health exams in March soon."

"But... fried chicken-!"

The back of my head suddenly prickles with pins and needles. I tense up, searching around the forest with my eyes. This feeling... it reminds me of the time back in Onett, back at the arcade tracking down Sharks. The same feeling I had then, like we weren't alone.

Like something's watching us.

When my telepathy catches nothing in the vicinity, I shuffle in place, still uneasy.

Ness taps me in the shoulder, his frowning face swimming back into focus. "-zoned out, you okay?"

"I thought I sensed something... nevermind." I shake my head, disturbed. "Sorry, what about the fried chicken place?"

Ness opens his mouth to continue, but a loud  _ding_  from his phone interrupts him. "One sec," Ness says, glancing down. Showing me his phone, he frowns at the name that materializes on screen. "Huh, it's Tracy."

 ** **Trace 4:41PM****  
Ness  
Hw busy are you from a scale of 1-10

 **Nuss 4:41PM**  
zero  
Is this about samuss poster?  
cuz ill send it over nxt week i prmise

 **Trace 4:42PM**  
No, it's not that  
Just  
How quickly can you come home?

Ness and I exchange a glance. There's a bad feeling creeping up my spine, and through his empathy link, I know that Ness can feel it too.

 **Nuss 4:42PM  
** why? what happened?

 **Trace 4:43PM**  
If you can't make it, it's okay

 **Nuss 4:43PM**  
Tracy  
Just tell me what's wrong

Over Ness's shoulder, I catch the last text that pops up on his phone.

 **Trace 4:47PM  
** Mom's at the hospital

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

After an emergency call to Master Hand and a rushed SkyTrain home, ignoring his jetlag, Ness immediately makes a beeline for the hospital, teleporting with me the second the SkyTrain pulls into the station at exactly 15:30 PM.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Ness demands, distraught, when we meet Tracy in the food court.

Closing her textbook on her essay on European History, Tracy's voice is quiet and steady in comparison. "I didn't want to worry you. You're an entire dimension away, not a street away," she says, her eyes heavy with dark bags from sleepless nights. Under the fluorescent lights of the hospital, Tracy carries the heavy air of someone who had to grow up too soon. Without her older brother around since his quest against Giygas, Tracy has a mature side to her that she hides more than she shows. "-and I would've told you if it was urgent-"

"Mom's in the fucking  _hospital_ , how  _isn't_  this urgent-?" Ness says aghast.

"Calm your tits, she only fell down the stairs and badly fractured her ankle." Tracy rubs her eyes. "She's okay, big brother-"

"How have you been getting to  _school?_  You don't even have a fucking license- and when did you last eat? Take a day off work if you haven't-" I watch as Ness begins fretting over his sister, who looks too exhausted to even complain over his big-brothering this time. "Here, lemme teleport you out and buy you something. I'll take over in the hospital, so you go eat and sleep at home, okay-? Lucas, wait here a few, I'll be right back-"

Burying her face into his shoulder, Tracy just hugs her brother tightly.

About what seems like an eternity later ( _though_ _the dingy clock hanging against the wall says otherwise_ ), Ness puffs into existence in a  _poof_  of ash.

"Tracy's been here every day after school," Ness mumbles as we walk into the elevator with the receptionist's words of  _fourth floor_. He looks a little shaken up. "She has a friend's mom pick her up... I don't get why she didn't ask  _me,_  I'd always have time for her-"

"She probably didn't want you to miss work-"

"Yeah, like my  _work_  is more important than  _mom falling down the stairs-"_  Ness suddenly cuts himself off, staring at something at the end of the hallway.

Catching his expression morph into shock, I follow his eyes to the man by the elevators.

Black hair.

Violet eyes.

Broad shoulders.

He's almost a split replica of Ness.

And all of a sudden, I know.

Something shifts in our empathy link. His emotions overflow over the edge before roaring like a tidal wave in my ears, and shaking, Ness's hand tightens on mine. His anger spikes through me like a shockwave when we all awkwardly cram ourselves inside the same elevator.

"What are you doing here," Ness says, staring holes into his dad, and the amount of venom in his voice takes me aback. He seems unaware that his hands are spitting out jagged circles of magic, swirling around his fingers in a cosmic thunderstorm.

"I'm here to visit your mother-"

"You have no right to see her."

"I still care about her," the businessman says quietly. "The same way I care about you."

Ness's eyes flash. "You can't just- show up and do-  _aUGH!"_  Unable to control his fizzling magic, Ness storms out of the elevator.

The elevator doors slide shut behind him.

_**"First floor. Going up."** _

Awkward elevator silence ensues.

To my right, the businessman shifts uncomfortably in place. "Sorry."

Dropping my eyes to the flashing elevator buttons, I finally find my lost voice, "...I'm not the person you should be apologizing to."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Debated over adding more tag/warnings, but decided against it. If you've come this far, then dark topics wouldn't surprise you guys haha  
> Full speed ahead!
> 
> I never learned Japanese, so I had to compare what I wrote with the sentences I found online.   
> If anyone sees any awkward/clunky/incorrect phrases, feel free to let me know :) I debated leaving in the actual Hiragana/Katakana characters, but I wanted to showcase Lucas's lack of experience reading Japanese, so I wrote everything down in romanji instead. I'm still struggling with the difference between desu and da though, because despite a formality difference, there seems to be other reasons behind choosing one over the other oh noes
> 
> I'm only going to highlight the important takeaways of Marth/Chrom's conversation, which is Chrom's last (very insulting) sentence.
> 
> *Kare wa = loosely translated as (he) is
> 
> *Yariman = loosely translated as slut/whore (used to describe women)
> 
> *Okama = effeminate man/crossdresser/drag queen
> 
> A huge portion of disrespect/insults in Japanese seems to stem from how someone says something (i.e. tone, dropping an honorific, etc.) over what word they use (with yariman a word not ever used in polite company), but I chose yariman over yarichin for instance to show that Chrom effeminates Lucas's character and demasculinates him for being gay, while yarichin (used to describe men who sleep around a lot) gives off more of a "playboy" insinuation than is a genuine insult. Although thinking about the Magypsies in Mother 3, I guess Lucas's game is pretty "progressive" compared to the society in the Fire Emblem games, which with their royal order seems "more traditional".
> 
> *This goes without saying, but never handle guns like Bayonetta does LOL! Make sure to wear hearing aid, use both hands to reduce recoil/avoid glockbite
> 
> *Bayonetta is the daughter of Balder and Rosa
> 
> *In canon, Rosalina has a brother and father (her mother passed away early), both of whom are speculated to be dead as well, since Rosalina travels lightyears around from planet to planet
> 
> *"On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux" is a direct quote from the classic, The Little Prince.
> 
> *In Mother 3, Rope Snake is Duster's equip, and PK Starstorm is Kumatora's power.
> 
> *In Mother 3, The Egg of Light stored away the memories of the Tazmily villagers upon arriving on the Nowhere Islands. This ensured that they'd live from here on out without being plagued by the lives they left behind... until Porky arrived.
> 
> *I tried to format Lucas's letter on FF, but I wasn't sure how to right indent hahaha!


	33. The King of Nowhere Islands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ness gets an unusual call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [NOTE]: oh man a few people just gave me fanart on this fic and im flattered beyond belief thank you kind readers  
> ( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ♡  
> should i post them  
> IDK thIS IS MY FIRST TIME GETTING FANART wHAT IS DA STANDARD PROTOCOL FOR THIS AKDSJHLDFJ
> 
> WHAT IS LOVEEE  
> BAYBEE DONT HURT MEEE  
> DONT HURT MEEE  
> NO MOREEE
> 
> *disappears off the face of the earth*
> 
> haha holy fuck what is writing what are words
> 
> i want tacos
> 
> Also yesh, Ness changed Paula's contact name from PSI Paula to PSI Powla in this chapter :)
> 
> Enjoy! :D

Okay, now where were we...?

Right.

After the father-son reunion no one asked for, I'm marching outside for a Time Out because my mom's sick, my dad's won the  _WORST DAD IN THE UNIVERSE_  mug for Father's Day, and on top of all this, I don't wanna become a human fuse and accidentally blow up the hospital from a temper tantrum.

Not two steps outside, I realize that I've inadvertently left Lucas behind in the most awkward ceasefire ever. But by the time I've turned around, the elevator doors have already shut.

There goes my one ticket to heaven.

Sure enough, while I'm marching angry circles around a water fountain of Cupid, Lucas's call rings through.

_**INCOMING CALL FROM AN UNKNOWN NUMBER.** _

An unknown number? Baffled, I check the area code. Still Onett. Huh. I guess Lucas is calling me from Mom's hospital phone. Either that, or a robocall's got some hell to pay.

Like a dumbass, I take one for the team. "...Lucas? Hey, I just need to cool off. Be back in a bit-"

"Oh, you'll be taking more than a bit," comes the unexpected wheeze, and I do a double-take, because unless Lucas has aged two centuries and gotten strep throat in the last five seconds I left him, everything about this call  _reeks_  of sabotage.

Yeah...

This voice isn't Lucas.

"How the shit did you get my number-  _nevermind,"_  I hiss. "I'm hanging up on you right now-"

"See me in the parking lot. Don't be late."

"Wha- Who do you-"

The phone clicks off.

The first thing I wanna do is throw my phone in the fountain and stress-binge on some tacos, but something tells me that ignoring Porky will bite me back in the ass. Frustrated, I glance up at the hospital windows glinting against the sun. Porky's still under investigation for the SkyTrain. I doubt he'll blow his cover over something else so soon- like blowing the hospital to smithereens.

Do I think he'll actually  _do_  it?

No.

But do I wanna risk it?

...No.

And clearly, he knows it too.

Stamping my feet into the ground in the biggest hissy fit possible, I drag my feet towards the parking lot. Sure enough, a chauffeur - a sallow, reedy-voiced man in an old tux and stuffy white  _Beethoven_  wig - thrusts his chest out in a ridiculously pompous manner, and then opens the limo door, revealing Porky's smug face.

Arguably already in a bad mood to start with, I get to the point. "How did you get my personal number?"

"I have my ways." From his fat sausage fingers, Porky dangles something in my face like a fishing lure, and I recognize the familiar battered phone case with a jolt. It's a flip phone.

The same flip phone Lucas lost to the Sharks on his way home.

I swear up a storm. "You son of a Brisket in Texas Cheese Hamburger-"

Lucky for Porky, his trained lapdog cuts through my words like a butter knife. Dark purple in the face, the chauffeur indignantly bleats out in his reedy voice, "Have you no shame, you delinquent? How dare you spew out such vulgar atrocities into the delicate ears of our precious, wondrous Master Porky-"

"Well buddy, I hate to break it to you, but the only thing  _delicate_  about your Master is his snowflake ego-"

Irritated by what's the gospel truth, Porky snaps his fingers, and his chauffeur rudely shoves me inside. "You're wasting my time," Porky wheezes. "Now turn off your phone, pig's butt. We're going on a ride."

* * *

**.**

**.**

**.**

**~ _Chapter Thirty-Three_ ~**

**_The King of Nowhere Islands_ **

**.**

**.**

**.**

* * *

After the Skytrain Bombing and the Nightmare That Was Christmas, I'm not too thrilled to see Porky's face.

But a part of me's pretty damn pleased when I see the  _state_  of Porky's face. With Chrom's fiasco during the Closing Ceremony of the Christmas Dinner, I hadn't taken in the extent of the damage I'd dealt. By now, the swelling's gone, but Porky's bruised eye is  _still_  black and purple.

"How's your eye," I ask sarcastically.

Tossing me a nasty look, Porky rubs the bruised eye in afterthought. "Healing well. How's your faggot friend?"

"I can make that two black eyes," I suggest.

"Calm down, Nessie. I'm not the one who lost their balls having an identity crisis over their gender," Porky sneers back. "I'm here because you owe me one. You're lucky that I saved your reputation. I could've pressed charges. I could've forced Lucas to pay his debt that day." His smile hardens like it's been glued to his face. "After painting me as the fool of the night, the best you can do is hear me out. That's what friends do for each other."

I scowl.

Cracking open the mini fridge in his ridiculously plush limo, Porky gropes around for a soda on the rack. "Ness... We're not so different, you and I. We split ways because of Giygas, but in the end, we both chose the life of fame and fortune. Believe it or not, we're on the same team." The orange soda hisses and froths over the top when he cracks the can open with a pudgy thumb. "I promised to be good-"

Boy, I'd hate to know what Porky's definition of "good" is.

"-and you asked me to return later for Lucas's debt. Like the nice person I was, I agreed. Now, it's time for you to return the favor."

"That's not how friendship works, Porky."

"I don't know what world you live in,  _Ness,_  but that's exactly how friendship works. I paid my dues. You need to uphold your end of the bargain." Impatiently flicking his drink down on his recliner, Porky tugs out his wallet with his fat greasy hands before slipping out thick wads of bills. Each one of his glittering golden  _100s_  is stamped with a ridiculously gigantic  _G_  at its heart, right over the tell-tale cross of a Smash Ball _._  Smash Gold. "...How much?"

"How much for what?"

"How much for Lucas."

I don't think I heard him right. "What?" I manage.

"Last I heard, you were like, fucking him or something. Maybe you get freaky and let him fuck you. Whatever. I didn't know you were into faggots, but I guess I can get behind that. Let's trade. I've got a few chinks about his age. None of them are half-breeds, but they're pretty good at sucking dick-"

I slam my fist down onto the counter, interrupting him. Suddenly I feel sick to my stomach, and it's got nothing to with the hospital food I saw in the cafeteria. "Porky, whatever you're doing, just- stop."

"What? I'm doing their parents a favour. Blame the stupid immigrants who sell their children to me because they forgot a condom too many," Porky shoots back. His face darkens. "Ness, for a hundred years, I was King. Everything in the land was mine, and mine alone to own. I had a whole army of fun toys at my call and beck... and I'm not losing to some filthy countryside chink who doesn't know his place." Porky's smile tightens. "And from what I've seen, you seem to be doing a pretty piss-poor job of reminding Lucas where he stands-"

"Uh, no," I say, getting in his face. "The only person I'm putting in his place is  _you,_  because for some reason, you think that the color of someone's skin and their wealth defines their social order-"

"-and it does. Minorities want too much. You set them free from slavery  _once-_ then the next thing you know, they're crawling all over the city trying to steal our jobs and act like free men. All them niggas, kikes, and feminazis. I mean, have you  _seen_  Onett these days? Their fast food places? The only thing  _browner_  than their french fries is their workforce. Honestly, I could care less about what Jesus Christ fantasies blustering crockpot old men believe, but I think it pays to have good money and wealthy friends under your thumb, while you have an odd habit of befriending the scraps left behind in the bottom of the barrel-"

"Knock it off, Porky. This isn't third grade where you can spout out whatever racist lingo your dad says and get away with it."

In the manner of a spoiled brat hurling his trash outside, Porky flicks his empty soda can out the window. Staring after the can flying out of sight and hearing it clatter somewhere on some sidewalk, for some stupid reason, all I can think of is Lucas staying up late on Tuesdays to sort out our disposable water bottles into the recycling bin.

Lucas wouldn't have littered.

"You've become a joke." With another heavy wheeze that sounds like his organs are breaking down, Porky clasps his fingers together in a crude mockery of prayer. "Do you think I parrot everything I say from my own father? My dear, kind, sweet father, who used to hit me with his shoe for burning his dinner, whose business I tore down and sold when he came crawling back begging for mercy on his knees? Oh Nessie... I don't spout it out. I BELIEVE in it, absolutely, a hundred percent," he encourages, waving a hand like a magic wand. "And so should you. You've gotten this far without your deadbeat excuse of a dad, and so have I. You just don't get it yet - being worshiped by a cult of dumb followers feels  _good._  You can commit fraud. You can grab any dumb bitch you like by the tits. And with your status? With your power? You can  _BE_  God. You can get away with anything you desire. You wanna fuck that cow Paula, or kick that bigheaded nerd  _Useless_  down the stairs-?"

"Paula is NOT a cow, and Jeff is NOT useless-" I begin hotly.

"-then you can do it. See, Ness? You can do anything you want, because you  _can,"_  Porky laughs unpleasantly with a wheeze. "Don't you get it? You're one of  _us,_  Ness. You and I grew up with opportunities that Lucas can't dare to imagine. Do you really think you can make his life better than it is?"

"You can. For starters, you're the one who put him into debt," I hiss.

"I did, and it pays wonderfully. Did you know I sponsored the games with the money Lucas GAVE me over the years? He's a real fool, thinking that he can escape from my debt, and you're a bigger fool for thinking you can save a drowning dog."

"Get rid of his debt."

Porky guffaws incredulously. "Never happening-"

"We can work something out. You said you had enough money coming in. You don't need to leech off his cash."

Pleased by the mention of his own immense wealth and by the tickle in his ego, Porky scratches his chin. "True... but I prefer making Lucas miserable."

"Jesus - What happened to you after Giygas? You weren't  _this_  twisted-"

Porky's piggy eyes turn hard. "I'm not twisted. You're just jealous because you  _chose_  to be a minority. Because I'm finally better off than you. Because I'm-" Porky suddenly cuts himself off, before getting this odd look on his face.

Something unsettling ripples through our empathy link.

"...Ness," he says softly, and the way he says my name is almost  _sociopathic_  that my empathy link goes nuts. Who is this  _Porky,_  and when did he replace the Pokey I once knew? "Do you know how much psychics fetch on the black market? Not just psychics - PSI users. Your kind are rarer than you think. I haven't crossed another PSI user since I arrived in Smash City. It's funny that you're worth such an exorbitant price. Even more than vampires, werewolves, and  _Legendary Pokemon._ You have no four or five move limit. You possess powers without the aid of tomes and bibles, and you can recharge your energy over time." Pokey wheezes. "When it comes to the price tag on human trafficking, millions doesn't cover it. But you know what'd top that price? Underage psychics."

"Well you're too late. Everyone I know is legal. Paula's turning 18 next month, and I turn 18 soon-"

"But Lucas is 16, isn't he?" Porky smiles when I stiffen up. "What's the matter, Ness? Empaths are insanely powerful... but you're too unpredictable, too risky for my customers to buy. But  _telepaths..._  Need a bodyguard? Need to steal your rival company's ideas? Need someone to mind control, or destroy anyone from inside out? Now you're talking my language. Don't you see? Mind readers are  _always_  in high demand. All you gotta do is snatch them away from their parents young, groom them, then-" Pokey makes a lewd gesture with his hands like he's snapping a chicken's neck into two. "-break them in like a stallion. Lucas is a little older than I would've liked, but if he's underage, a lotta people would be happy to snatch him off the black market-"

"You're one sick fuck."

"You just don't understand the worth of the goods you're carrying. His Half-White breed? A Smasher? Blond with blue eyes? A telepath  _with_  healing and other unlimited magic powers? A lot of people would  _kill_  to get their hands on him. His age is cutting it a little close, but I'd be willing to tame him. The younger they are, the easier they are to break. I'd know, because I owned one once as King...  _years_  ahead of your time," Pokey wheezes. "I was lucky it was close to death when I found it too. It's such a shame that it's now broken beyond repair... but turns out, I was lucky. It came in a twin pack." Pokey's smile turns taut. "I had my eyes set on Lucas before you did. I took over his village before I even  _knew_  that he existed. He's rightfully mine, Ness. And trust me, I don't like people who take my property."

"Lucas isn't for sale. He's a person, not a thing."

Porky's hand tightens around the rim of his second soda can. "You know, Nessie... I'm not happy with your tone. What gives you the right to look down on me and spit on my perfect face? Because my stupid parents beat the shit outta me when I was a kid? Because you grew up with a perfect mom and a perfect dad and a perfect life? Because you rejected my humble apology like you were  _above_  me?"

"I didn't reject your apology-"

"I asked to be friends! I promised to be GOOD,  _and you said nothing!"_

"I-I don't remember. If I ever came off that way, I'm sorry," I say desperately. "Porky, I really meant it when you wanted to be friends before, but what you're doing now is  _wrong-"_

"Well, it's too late for apologies. You're happy now... but I'm going to fix that." Porky's smile turns downright nasty, before he turns over a manilla folder in his lap.

The photos spill out.

Of us outside of the mansion. Of us fighting inside the SkyTrain, of Lucas's silhouette at the Onett Arcade, of us holding hands by the Smash City movie theatre... even one of us hugging by the shrine outside Tazmily Village yesterday.

Though clearly innocent, between our clasped hands and secret hugs and stolen smiles, the intent of his footage is pretty obvious.

Glued to my seat from shock, I watch more photos scatter from Porky's pudgy hands onto the limo floor like confetti.

 _How?_  How did Porky pull this off? Even scratching out my shitty peripheral powers, there's  _no_  way Porky could've circumvented Lucas's telepathy. To get out of that range and STILL take quality pics, he's got to have had some freakishly superhuman paparazzi on our tail.

Lucas would've sensed someone. He's much too careful to let anything suspicious slide. Once, maybe. Twice? Doubtful.

Unless...

The Porky bots. On the SkyTrain.

Lucas hadn't sensed them in the baggage carriers until their ambush, and I hadn't either.

Most importantly, I realize in what feels like the biggest bitch slap into the next century- Porky bots are fucking BOTS. They  _have_  no thoughts or feelings. D'oh.

Suddenly, my face turns numb. Ignoring Porky's gloating eyes, my blood runs cold at the photos and tapes on the floor. After all that time we spent on detours to avoid the paparazzi... after all that effort we spent on ducking into smaller alleyways and avoiding PDA to protect Lucas's privacy...

Porky could shove Lucas out of the closet right now, if he so wanted.

"Pretty disgusting, aren't they?" Porky wheezes. "I know, I had to bleach my eyes when I saw the vids-"

"You  _didn't,"_ I croak.

"Well, I came close. I bet Lucas's dad did though. I wonder what he thought when he saw proof of his own son sleeping around like a slut-"

"He wasn't sleeping arou- Wait...  _YOU'RE_  the one who gave Flint the pictures.  _YOU_  sold Lucas out to his dad."

"Big deal. His dad already sold him out-"

"What do you mean?"

Porky scoffs, unraveling a piece of parchment from his waistcoat. "He -  _Flint? Was that his name?_  - well, the loser was wandering around Onett one day looking kinda desperate for cash. Didn't even know  _what_  money was and  _how_  to get it until I kindly offered to lend him some for his rent. Look, it's not MY fault he didn't read the fine print in our contract-"

_"Oh my gOD, PORKY. LUCAS'S DAD DIDN'T READ THE FINE PRINT, BECAUSE HE **COULDN'T**  READ IT-"_

"Not my problem he's illiterate-"

_"YOU HID THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS IN SIZE ONE FONT AND TRANSLATED THEM INTO GERMAN!"_

"There you go. The idiot wasn't careful enough." Porky stuffs his pamphlet of  _TERMS AND CONDITIONS_  back into his jacket. "I had a lotta fun sucking money out of him too. I still remember the look on his face when I explained the deal he'd signed. If he couldn't repay his monthly loan until Lucas's 18th birthday, then he had to sell his only son to me. What, did you  _really_  think Flint booted his own son out to save face cuz Lucas was a faggot? Well it'd be super funny if he actually did, but I had a funny feeling-" Popping open another soda can, Porky's shoulders shake from repressed wheezing. "He wanted to keep Lucas as far away from me as he could. I bet Flint wasn't happy when he heard that  _you_  were one of my old chums... then that  _idiot-"_  he wheezes, wiping off a tear from his eyes. "-decided not to take his son's cash. I guess the fool finally realized that he couldn't ever repay my debt, so he chose to go to jail last week to drag me down with him. Annoying. It gave me a massive migraine all day-"

"That's all you care about?! Do you even HEAR yourself? You're blackmailing people  _and sex-_ _trafficking their children-"_

"But then YOU showed up. You complicated EVERYTHING." Porky's piggy eyes turn sour. "You had the fucking  _gall_  to befriend Lucas, and make him happy. And I don't like Lucas happy. So I'm gonna break this down for you, Ness: Break up with Lucas by Winter Formal, and I won't leak my footage online. I don't care how you do it, or how publicly you make it - break up with him. Even as friends. No lies. The instant you do, I'll accept your apology, bail Lucas's dad outta jail, and erase my footage from my master drive to save your rep. Then you can carry on living your merry life, and I'll snatch Lucas away from your hands the second he drowns in my debt."

"And if I don't?"

"If you don't-" Porky crushes the now-empty soda can in his hand. "You'll go down with him like the loser you are. I'll make you, your family,  _and_  your friends suffer. I'll make you regret turning down my friendship, I'll make you regret ever making Lucas happy..." His smile widens. "And it'll all be YOUR fault."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

 **Nuss 3:36PM**  
beep bop  
rounding up teh squad  
is everyone okay?

 **PSI Powla 3:37PM**  
All's well in Twoson!  
What happened?  
It's not something bad is it (；￣Д￣) *prays intensely*

 ** **Nuss 3:37PM****  
Yeahhh about that  
Porky happened

 **PSI Powla 3:38PM**  
Oh no (°ロ°)  
What did he do this time? ლ(¯ロ¯"ლ)

 ** **Nuss 3:38PM****  
No terrorist attacks this time  
I'll sned you all deets later  
TLDR; he's back as #1 Threat  
Jeff, Poo, where u 2 at?

 **& Donuts 3:39PM**  
AAA thi s Tony! ermm D: D: 😧😴😣 lemme scream for him  
oh nO i think he left! 😭 for! 😭 cup ramen!  
waiT! 😄😆😆 jkjk hes back ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

 **& Donuts 3:41PM**  
Sorry. This is Jeff, Checking in from the mansion.  
Security's top notch here. I'd be more worried about everyone else.  
Where are you Ness?

 ** **Nuss 3:43PM****  
Onett  
phew everyoness okay  
Good  
Dat only leaves Poo  
where's my P man

 **PSI Powla 3:43PM**  
hmm  
He might be off meditating in the mountains again (シ_ _)シ

 **& Donuts 3:43PM  
**Probably. I doubt they have wifi up there

 **PSI Powla 3:44PM**  
I'll try to get a hold of him later  
Ness? Are you alone? how many bodyguards are with you right now?

 ** **Nuss 3:45PM****  
master hand forced me to take a platoon home  
but I left them all at home and at the hospital

 **PSI Powla 3:45PM  
** WHA

 **& Donuts 3:45PM  
**The hospital?! Are you okay?

 ** **Nuss 3:45PM****  
nO NOT ME IMNOT HOSPITALIZED  
I MEANT  
my mom fractured her ankle dat's aLL  
I SWEAR IM OKAY  
JUST RATTLED  
BUT NO INJURIES

 ** **PSI Powla 3:46PM****  
if you're sure then..  
let me know if yu need more firepower!  
(∩` ﾛ ´)⊃━炎炎炎炎炎炎炎炎

 **& Donuts 3:47PM**  
Right with you. Stay safe, Ness. Send us the details asap, and we'll work something out together.  
& Don't ditch your bodyguards if you can

 ** **Nuss 3:47PM****  
thanks you guys  
youre the best

 **& Donuts ** ** **3:49PM****  
Also Ness  
I've been investigating Porky's pedophilia/drug ring ever since you filed a police report to the station.  
Unfortunately, I've got nothing. He's too good at covering his tracks

 ** **Nuss 3:50PM****  
Jeff yOuRE A GENIUS  
A SELF INVESTIGATION? that's still so freakin awesome  
Don't stress! Porky will slip up at some point  
We'll nab him then :D

 **& Donuts ** ** **3:51PM****  
Thanks, Ness. You flatter me  
We still need to talk in person though  
I arrived late for breakfast yesterday and missed you  
I think I've found a connection between Lucas's timeline and ours

 ** **Nuss 3:53PM****  
thats amazing! We'll figure something out, because i def wanna know this :)  
Stay safe everyone

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Despite my reassurance, I guess my SOS terrified Paula enough for her to call me, because the next thing I know, she  _does._

"Honestly, I'm not complaining. I'm alive," I say, but I can feel her worry leak in through the corners, and know that she wants the mass explanation  _NOW._  "Hey... Don't you have to like, prep for your fashion run in Summers-"

"That's the last thing on my mind right now. Tell me everything."

"I can wait when you're not busy-"

"Ness, what  _exactly_  did Porky tell you?"

Giving in, I send her the basic rundown.

Her gasp crackles through the speakers. "He's been  _stalking_  you?"

"That's what I said," I say wearily.

 _"And_  he wants you to throw Lucas under the bus by Winter Formal?"

"Homerun."

"I can't believe he called you a- To think he's got the gall to say all that after all the human trafficking he does- the sheer nerve...! OO-!" There's a  _WhOOMPH,_  as if a fuming Paula's tossed her  _MISS ANGELIC BEAUTY_  Winter Dresses on her bed. She sounds upset, just as upset as I'd expected. "Oh Ness, the things he said about Lucas... they were  _revolting-"_

I shudder. "I'm not gonna lie- It was  _disgusting._  I felt like I had to wash my ears out with soap afterwards-"

"How are you NOT freaking out?"

"Oh, I'm freaking out all right," I told her, very seriously. "I'm still in shock."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come over and-?"

"Nah, we got this for now. Lucas is here with me, and I'm requesting more protection for Jeff. Do you need bodyguards?"

"I've got plenty. And my frying pan," Paula adds out loud. "Does Lucas have any bodyguards?"

"...No," I admit, feeling guilty because this is basically code for  _LUCAS CAN'T AFFORD ANY_.

"I can't take all my bodyguards to Summers, so I can ask dad to lend a team to him for the week. They're all very trustworthy and sweet-"

"Really Paula, I think we'll be okay. Lucas won't be happy, but I've already planned to fund a few his way. Between the two of us, he'll have more than enough eyes looking out for him."

"Porky's become an active threat. He'll make whatever he's done up to this point look like child's play. For heaven's sake, he even dropped by  _in person_  to give you his terms and conditions... Ness, what're you going to do now for Winter Formal?" Paula's voice turns uncertain when I don't respond. "...please tell me that you at least  _found_  a ballroom dance partner-"

I throw up my arms in frustration. "yES? No? Agh, I haven't! I was hoping I could weasel out of the dance last second. Maybe I can pretend to get super sick and stay in bed-"

"Didn't Master Hand force Captain Falcon to go when he had whooping cough last year?"

"He did," I say gloomily. "Paula, can you take my place in the tourney now? It's been nice knowing you. Thanks."

"Oh, stop being dramatic. We'll find a way around this. Though if I had to be honest... the thought of you attending Winter Formal alone makes me pretty uneasy-" Paula hmms. "Porky's a sponsor, right? If he is, there's a good chance he might show up again."

"Shit, you're right. I didn't even  _think_  that far ahead."

Paula's voice turns quiet. "How about... I tag along for Winter Formal?"

"What?" I say, dumbfounded. "Wait, really?"

"Yes really, Ness."

"So I can ask you out to the dance?"

"Mmhm."

Suddenly I'm blushing like an idiot and I don't know why. "But your  _sales,"_  I say awkwardly. "And your rep! There's already rumors about people shipping us-"

"So?"

"I'm not damaging your reputation! If we go together, the paparazzi's gonna add more drama into your life-"

"Well then, they'll be disappointed, because we'll be going as friends." When a spike of warmth shoots into our empathy link, I can almost sense Paula  _bLUSHING_  on the other end too, no doubt from my fucking bout of awkwardness. "You won't be damaging my rep, Ness. Right now, I'm more worried that Porky's got  _YOURS_  on the line. Obviously since he's got footage, he could cause a scene by fabricating a story... though I doubt he's got any sex tapes or explicit photos- unless you and Lucas-"

"No," I say quickly, my face still hot. "We haven't- no."

"And you checked the apartment? The shower?"

"Master Hand wouldn't-"

"You never know. I once had a boss who stole my used underwear and tried to hide cameras in my dressing room."

I wince. "Oh yeah, I remember that. The creepy boss. I'm glad you're not working with him anymore."

"Thank god, I know. But if it counts, Master Hand seems to have an excellent reputation, and Jeff thinks that the security there is top notch. I doubt Porky could sneak into the Mansion anytime soon. Anyways, Porky's got the upper hand for now. He can still blackmail you into outing Lucas in public if you ever refuse to comply with whatever he demands, and to make things worse, he's got your private number-"

"Not helping, Paula."

"I'm just laying the facts down for you," Paula says grimly. "Ness, you said it yourself - Lucas isn't coming to Winter Formal, so you won't even have him around to keep an eye out for you. Unless you prefer to ask out someone already AT the mansion, I'd be more than happy to be your dance partner for the evening, just in case something happens. Together with Jeff, and hopefully Poo, I'm confident we can bring Porky and his trafficking gig down before he tries anything else."

"Sounds like a start. So I guess if we show up together for Winter Formal, that SHOULD throw Porky off our tracks until we find a better plan. Well, that is, if you WANNA go," I sputter, now flustering like crazy because  _god_ , I'm the biggest dipshit in the world for even INSINUATING that my other best friend was a BACKUP. "Don't feel forced to attend the dance! I can always ask someone else, s'not a big deal-"

"Of course I'll come. I'm your best bet if anything goes wrong," she encourages me, and I can't help but feel like more of an asshole. "Just make sure Lucas is all right with it first, okay?"

"I'll let you know this week." I breathe easy now, feeling like she's miraculously lifted a heavy load from my shoulders. How does she do it? I don't know. "Thanks. Thanks a bunch, really."

"Don't thank me... bUT AUGH-" Paula vents, and I don't mind because I feel like I'm also venting THROUGH her. "I knew it! I knew Porky was up to no good ever since I saw him. It was only a matter of time before he tried blackmailing you with underhanded threats-"

"Oh yeah, and he called you a  _cow,"_  I fume, and hearing the sudden change in my tone, Paula laughs.

"Really, Ness? Of all the things he said, I think that's the least offensive insult to get riled up over. I feel quite honored, actually."

I scowl. "But you're  _not_  a cow. You're Paula."

"No, I'm Paula the friendly cow. Moo," she says. I can almost imagine her fluttering her eyelashes in a teasing manner, and I can't help it - I crack up. "There we go. You're grinning again, don't deny i-"

"MoO!" I say loudly in the most obnoxious voice ever, and Paula bursts into giggles. "Ha, interrupting cow!"

"I called it first!"

"No, you didn't-"

"Totally did!"

"I swear to god, I called it first-"

"Ness."

I feel a twinge in my stomach. "Yeah?" I whisper.

"...Stay safe, okay?" Paula says, her voice soft. "And tell Tracy not to wear the Love Letter studs. She's allergic to Nickel."

Then with a click, she's gone.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Shaking the ash off my third teleportation attempt, I try to quell the static electricity in my hair before pushing my way inside the Onett police station.

**_Some people are beyond help._ **

It feels like a million years ago when Lucas sat beside me in the SkyTrain and voiced this solid conviction.

As much as I want to, I can't turn back time. I can't help Porky with his abusive parents. I can't help him take the right path, especially when he's strayed too far and convinced himself that he'll never be in the wrong. I don't have the money to help Lucas with Porky's debt, and even if someone else  _did,_  the insidious nature of Porky's debt makes me doubt that the solution is that easy. I mean, Lucas has probably already THOUGHT about borrowing money to pay off his debt. And I'm sure if I ever offered to help him financially, Lucas would vehemently decline. Lucas would never toss over a shovel and let me dig myself into the same grave, and I certainly wouldn't be helping anyone if I tried. There's a glaring reason  _why_  Lucas can't get out of Porky's debt, because it's pretty damn obvious that Porky doesn't WANT him to.

Lucas is right. I can't save everyone in the world.

But I can still help in however way I can.

So as I greet the Police Chief Strong with a tilt of my hat, who in turn sputters into his water at my unexpected arrival, it only seems right to take one more rendevouz trip before returning to the hospital.

Waiting inside the drab gray walls of the Onett police station and swinging my legs on a seat, I watch a pair of cops drag a prisoner out to the guest room. Testing the mike and speakers on the other end of the glass slider, one of the cops nods once to me in affirmation before marching away with a stern  _10 minutes_.

Even in a tacky orange prison jumpsuit, Flint brims and simmers with an underlying power, too much like an old soldier who's done and seen too much shit. Across from me, with his toned biceps and hunched shoulders barely squeezing themselves to fit into the tiny seat, Flint's big, bulky frame dwarfs his chair to a comically ridiculous extent.

Weirder still, Flint doesn't seem surprised to see me.

Scooting my chair closer to the glass divide, I uneasily brush my fingers against my own mike. I don't know where to start.

Thankfully, I don't have to.

His voice haggard, Flint speaks first. "Where's my son?"

"He's safe in town. Doesn't know that you were arrested last week." I rake my eyes over his face. "But that's not why I'm here."

"...You know."

Fuck. The sentence's in the exact same question-statement tone I'm so used to hearing from his son. Nothing about this visit was easy to begin with, but the way he speaks  _LIKE_  Lucas trips me up. "Why-" I swallow. "Why didn't you tell him?"

Flint does a half-shrug, but I can't ignore the tinge of shame creeping into our empathy link.

The answer's obvious.

He's too prideful to ask for help.

"He's going through a hard time because of you," I say, struggling not to make my voice... angry? Sad? I don't even know what the fuck to feel about this man at this point. "He thinks you disowned him. Because he was seeing me. Maybe a part of that's true. I wouldn't know."

"..."

"But there's something else. You didn't want him home. You pushed him out of Onett because of Porky. And if I'm right... I heard that you didn't like your son seeing me, because I could've been out for his blood too."

"..."

Goddamn, this man doesn't speak.

But I don't need his answer.

Feelings are more honest than words.

I exhale. Oh well, that's as good a confirmation as anything. "Look mister... I don't know what lies Porky fed you, but Porky's not my friend. He's not anyone's friend anymore. But Lucas..." I swallow. "Your son means a lot to me... especially as a friend. He's my best friend. He's family. Without him, I wouldn't have made it to where I am today."

"..."

I swallow again. "Why didn't you tell him the truth?"

Flint shifts in his seat. "It's for the best."

I squeeze my hands into fists.  _"Goddammit."_

After a beat of uncertainty, Flint looks at me. His brown eyes fix me in place as they do that  _X-RAY scrutiny_  again. "You remind me of my oldest son. I wish..." He pauses. His voice turns gruff. "I wish I could've found him. For Lucas. Didn't want to leave Lucas behind every time I had to work, but if Claus was there... he wouldn't have had so much of a hard time alone. And there were times..." he trails off, but I can feel the bottled-up guilt threatening to shoot up his throat, the pain of hauling an unfair, fucked up debt home, the fear of losing his only son in what was unjust folly. "As for what you've said, I believe you. I trust that you mean well. You're an honest boy... but my son isn't gay. I can't approve of my son's relationship with you," Flint says quietly, while his words fucking sting, I can't blame him. "I'll accept your "relationship", because I have no choice, but I don't approve. There's too much risk involved for both parties, and you have too much leverage on our family. I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry. We can agree to disagree," I say, finally shaking off the numb feeling from my legs. "But first, let's bust you out. You don't belong in here-"

"I have nowhere else to go." Though his voice remains steady, Flint looks tired, his eyes bloodshot with exhaustion. He's pretty beat, and suddenly, I wonder if the police arrested him right after work, or if his apartment's threatened to evict him for missing rent, and it strikes me - if he's  _right,_  he really has nowhere else to go.

Flint reaches for my hand through the glass slider. "Please," he says. "If you want to help someone, please- help my son. If you want something in return, I'll give it to you. Anything. Just- not my son. My son is-" Flint squeezes his calloused hand into a fist against the desk, as if willing his cuffs to break free in his search for his only living child. "...My son means everything to me."

Just like that, the ten minutes are over. As the cops return, rudely shoving Flint out of the room and back to the cells, the Onett police chief returns, smiling too widely for my own comfort. "Your ten minutes are over, Master Ness. Is there anything else you want-?"

"You know that I have dirt on you," I say casually.

I can almost see the vein popping in Captain Strong's forehead. Clearly, the police chief remembers how he and his five corrupt goons tried to ambush me here during my quest against Giygas. "I remember," he grits his teeth.

I smile as innocently as I can. Hanging around Tracy is really starting to teach me the finest tricks of the trade. "You know that Porky's guilty. But strangely enough, I don't see him in jail for extorting a parent for his son-"

"Porky was  _innocent_ ," he spits out. "I don't know what you take us for, but we went through all the evidence-"

"Okay, then I'll pay the bail."

"I'm  _sorry_ ," Captain Strong sneers, not sounding sorry at all. "We can't let that man out at this time-"

"How much is Porky paying you to be his puppet?"

Captain Strong tenses up. "Pardon?"

"Imagine what would happen if Smash City found out you arrested a victim who was manipulated into signing an illegal contract by Onett's biggest crime lord. Then, imagine the blacklash from the press when everything blows up in your face.  _Now_  imagine Porky's hush money. I bet you'd lose your job before nightfall. Not worth the bribe Porky gave you, I'd reckon-"

Captain Strong turns the color of sour milk. "You've outstayed your visit. Leave now before I call my platoon on you-"

"-and get your ass whooped again. Uhuh. As I was saying-" I flip out my credit card and put on my best charming grin. "I can pay  _double,_  and better yet,  _you_  can set an innocent man free. How much is the bail?"

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

I shouldn't have ditched my bodyguards.

When I  _POOF_  back to the hospital, I almost drown in an incoming sea of Kevlar armour and walkie talkies until the head honcho plods right up.

Lo and behold, it's Knuckles on dispatcher duty. Again.

Naturally, he gives me the stink eye.

As Knuckles demands where I've been, I give him a sheepish grin and hold up three packs of free donuts for the crew with my soot-covered hands. Because let's face it - I give the bodyguards much more trouble than they deserve.

"Donuts don't even have  _nuts,"_  Knuckles gripes as he guides me back into the hospital, opening a pack of "treacherous, sugar-loaded treats" in his hands. "They should be called DONT-nuts, not DO-nuts -  _Hey, wait a sec_." Closing a box of donuts, Knuckles squints his eyes in suspicion. "Are you  _bribing_  me?"

"Uh, sure. You could call it that."

"Awesome!"

Thankfully, Knuckles lets the matter slide, sharing the donuts out to his platoon, and I breathe out a sigh of relief. For all his nitpicking, I'm lucky he's so easily distracted.

"We'll be out here," Knuckles grins, jabbing a thumb at the hallway when we arrive on my mom's floor. "Take as long as you need."

Relieved, I turn the knob. "Thanks, Knuckles."

It's like a scene straight out of a Renaissance painting.

Pooling into the hospital room and leaking through the cracks of the curtains, sunlight trickles in, bathing the bed in a golden glow. A holy angelic halo over his head, in a guest seat by my mom's bedside like  _THE PERFECT SON™_ , Lucas watches my Mom attentively as if she were the only survivor of a ship wreck. As he listens to her speak, my mom affectionately ruffles his hair with a gentle hand, and for a brief second, Lucas gets this warm, tender look in his eyes - kinda wistful too, as if wishing his own mom was y'know -  _cough_  - not dead.After Porky's racist spiel, the irony's hilarious in hindsight. For someone supposedly mixed, with his blond hair and blue eyes, Lucas looks more like my mom than  _I_  do. Like seriously, when we used to go to school together, strangers often mistook  _me_  for the adopted child of the family.

But when Lucas looks up at me, despite their blue color, the resemblance is uncanny.

He's just like me.

He's got his dad's eyes.

Swallowing down the sudden ache in my chest, I hide it with a grin, holding up a spare pack of donuts and announcing my arrival with a noisy fanfare of  _mOM IM HERE!_

Understandably, Mom gives me a long lecture _._

"You spent all that time going out on a temper tantrum and  _BUYING DONUTS?_ " she says aghast, pinching me over by the cheek.

 _"mMph!_  It was for the bobeeguarbs, I sware-"

"The bodyguards? Then what's  _that_  you're eating?"

"I bought some for myself too, okay? Gimme a break-" I whine, squirming away with my precious baked goods when Mom tickles me over.

"I can't believe it," Mom says, shaking her head at  _THE PERFECT SON™_  sitting by her bedside. "While my OWN SON left to stuff himself on junk food, Lucas here healed my shattered ankle-"

I whirl around. "You DID?"

"I didn't do much," Lucas offers, and when Mom begins to gush again about how modest and adorable and kind he is and  _why cant my own son be as sensible aiYAH,_ I wanna kiss him for keeping her company while I was gone.

But instead, I look around. "Oh... Where's dad?"

Instant mood killer.

Mom purses her lips.

Rising as if to leave, a flustering Lucas mumbles something about a bathroom until I hold him back by the hand.

"You can stay-"

"No. I think you should talk alone with your mom," he says, squeezing my hand once, gently, before tugging it out of my loosening grip.

"Don't go anywhere," I blurt out, because I'm so fucking terrified of leaving him somewhere alone,  _especially_  after Porky's racist speech, and the last time Porky declared  _wAR!_  on me, Paula got kidnapped  _right in front of my own eyes_. While we thankfully found her unharmed, I don't wanna think about what else Porky's capable of. I'm not risking it, knowing about Porky's obvious vendetta against Lucas, and I'd be stupid to test my luck after Porky's declaration of hunting Lucas down like an endangered animal. "We won't take long, so just... stay in the hallway, okay?"

With a blink and a brush against my mind as if to say  _understood_ , Lucas leaves, catching the door behind him to close it as quietly as he can.

"...You couldn't have chosen a more considerate person to date," Mom says, watching the spot where Lucas last disappeared. "I'm glad you two made up your minds before all the girls started to swarm him. He's grown into a catch, dear. Very handsome too."

 _"Mo-om,"_  I whine.

"I wouldn't mind him as a future son-in-law," she says helpfully, as if trying to nudge a GLARING HINT my way. "He's kind. And smart. And a gentleman to boot. Doesn't hurt that he keeps you in line and out of trouble. I like that one. He's a keeper."

"We've  _just_  started dating," I groan. "Stop trying to set me up with everyone you see-"

"Come now, Nessie. You know that's not true."

"You kept calling Paula my girlfriend for  _years_. Do you know how embarrassing it was every time you called me while she was there? It was so _embarrassing-"_

"Well, can't a mom dream about her son dating a sweetheart? Nothing against Lucas of course, but I'd always thought you and Paula would've been just as sweet together," she says kindly. "And oh my, the people at the mansion? The gorgeous girls? The handsome hunks? Master Hand seems to pick people who are very easy on the eyes-"

"It's called photoshopping, mom." When I pad up to her bedside, Mom gets the hint.

She opens her arms out wide with a smile. "Come here, baby. I'm okay."

Lemme tell you. Hugs from Mom are the best. It's like inhaling chocolate chip cookies, except a thousand times better, because all that sugar and sweetness is actually  _GOOD_  for you. Even if the sky is falling and we're all doomed, I can always use one of her hugs, and I wonder if mom has a special magic of her own because they're  _that_  good.

Maybe it's a mom thing.

Her hug magically erases everything on my mind. Porky. The SkyTrain. Winter Formal. Homesickness.

She sighs. "About your father..."

"He was here. I bumped into him by the elevators," I mumble.

"I heard." Mom brushes a hand through my messy hair, and I can't help but bite back a grin at the twinge of annoyance flashing across her face. Sorry mom, my hair's not settling down anytime soon. It's always messy. "Lucas talked with your father. I suppose your dad was convinced that dropping by unannounced wasn't the wisest course of action."

Lucas did all  _THAT_  while I was gone? Without anyone blowing up? Geez, I owe him a lot more than I thought.

As if noticing my expression, Mom presses a thumb against my cheek. "He's not here today," she says gently. "But maybe next time, you should see a movie together. Or go see one of those baseball games you love to watch."

I snort. "Yeah, good riddance."

"He does love you, you know. You and Tracy." My mom gets that forlorn look in her eyes. "Your dad and I... well, we didn't get along, but you know he cares about you. Still does. I don't want you to dislike him because of me."

I swallow down the lump in my throat. "Well, that doesn't change the fact that Dad's a selfish jerk who cared more about his job and hooker trips than he cared about all of us combined-"

 _"Language_ , young man, _"_  Mom says sternly, and I shut my mouth. "There were no  _hooker trips_  involved-"

"Makes no difference," I mumble, glaring at the lava pool of sunlight on the floor that I name  _NORFAIR_. "He cheated on you."

Mom presses her hand into my face. "Look at me." When I still refuse, sulking, her fingers brush over my messy bangs, then lift up one of my eyelids.

"You're not your father," she whispers, and ashamed, I squeeze my eyes shut. God, I hate my eyes.

"I wish I looked more like you," I say thickly.

"Why?"

"Because." I angrily wipe the stinging sensation from my eyes. "You  _know_  why."

Mom just smiles. "You're my son. You're your father's son. You're both, and more." She pinches me in the cheek. "You're a hero."

"I am  _not-"_

"The Chosen One."

" _Quiddit mom,_  I'm being serious-" I try to bat her aside, but she manages to pinch both of my cheeks.

"The dorkiest hero in the history of dorks-"

 _"Mo-Om, I am NOT a dork,"_  I whine when she tickles the laughter out of my lungs. "Okay, I geddit, I'm an awesome person, now can you lemme go grab Lucas before he walks into this cheesefest-"

Still, even as she teases me and complains about how much nonexistent weight I've gained, I can't stop laughing.

It's good to be home.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

As I barely give Lucas any time to glance my way before dragging him back inside from the hallway, I'm grateful times a thousand for his killer perception. If Lucas noticed me sniffling a little, he doesn't say anything.

Though when he reaches for my hand, obviously wanting to offer me comfort, I pull away. "Thanks, really. I would too, but we can't here." A questioning look. "I'll tell you later. There's something you should know."

With another gentle brush against my mind, Lucas complies.

When we return home with Mom's discharge papers and extra groceries, Tracy  _zooms_  past me to hug mom like I don't exist.

"Mom, you're back!" she cries.

"Geez, what am I? The Uber driver?" I grunt, dragging five grocery bags in each hand.

"No, you're the homeless guy who eats burgers out of the trash," Tracy quips.

Hoisting his own share of groceries, Lucas snorts into laughter, and I give him my best offended "puppy dog" pout.

"Well, she's not wrong," Lucas says helpfully, and I elbow him in the side.

"I only ate out of the trash  _once. ONCE._  And that was because I hadn't eaten in  _three_  days," I complain, feeling like I have to explain myself even though everyone already kNOWS, and Lucas gently nudges me as if to say that he does, that he gets it, and that he was just being a lil shit.

"Oh yeah... mom, it happened again," I say, remembering what else to tell her when I dump all the groceries back onto the kitchen counter, and I've got the heart to be ashamed because I'm about to uproot the family  _AGAIN._  "Porky's back on the radar, so Master Hand sent more bodyguards around the house-"

Mom doesn't even bat an eye. "That's okay-"

"Sorry-"

"Don't you dare apologize. This is NOT your fault," she says sternly, now pushing Lucas away from the stove and ordering him to R&R. "Safety is most important. If the bodyguards become a hassle, I'll look into finding another job in Smash City... but Tracy's still a freshman, so we'll see if we can transfer her over to a new high school there-"

When I leave Tracy complaining in the kitchen -  _wHAT,_ _we have to move aGAINNN? -_  Lucas frickin comes out of Nowhere and slugs me in the shoulder.

 _"Owww,"_  I whine in an exaggerated fashion, making a huge show of rubbing my "sore" spot, even though Lucas clearly held back for the name of fun. "What the hell, you bastard-"

 _"That's_  for leaving me behind in the elevator."

"Oh, come on," I wail. "I'm sorry-"

Smirking like the biggest dick ever, Lucas punches me again. "Apology-"  _P_ _unch._  "Accepted-"  _Punch._

"Okay, now you're just asking for it," I scowl, socking him in the side, and we stumble into couch trying to out-punch each other when I furiously declare,  _v_ _ICTORY IS MINE!_

Then-

"Ness, what oN GOD'S GREEN EARTH aRe you doing?!"

Caught in the act, Mom gives me another lecture about "behaving myself around guests" while Lucas watches me in the corner with this hugeass smirk growing on his face. And UNFAIRLY, when Mom fawns over him _AGAIN,_ he keeps up  _THE PERFECT SON™_  act. Like I said, once a smartass, always a smartass.

Though the second we're alone with all the doors and curtains closed, I retaliate by pinning him down and kissing him senseless against my bed.

Heavy talk can come later.

Kisses and cuddles first.

After dinner, Mom turns in early for the night, swooping over for another round of goodnight hugs, and I have to bite back a grin when I see Lucas melting into her hug too. Even he can't resist against the power of a mother's love.

So while Lucas finishes up in the shower, I spot Tracy sprawled over the couch reading a novel. Perfect time for quality sibling bonding.

That is, until I get a good look at the page she's on.

I squint at what looks like two very naked... disproportionately-looking girls with glowing dicks kissing and making out. Reading graphic porn in the living room? I guess all secrets are out now that Mom's gone to bed. Still, I have to commend my sister for her bravery. "Are you reading  _lesbian_  porn?" I croak, my voice suddenly dry.

Tracy rolls her eyes like I'm the biggest idiot in the world. "No. They're  _boys."_

"I see," I note, watching the next panel in horror at what looks like an incredibly feminine guy... or _alien-girl-thing_... contort its body in a way that's impossible for human physics. Still, I'm determined for dat quality sibling bonding time, and stubbornly plow through. "Uh, what's the plot?"

"Dude A likes Dude B, but Dude B's banging Dude C, except Dude C is a vampire who sparkles in the sun, and now we're at the part where the crazy ex-girlfriend shows up just before the threeway orgy that's borderline consensual-"

"So basically, porn without plot."

With a smile so sweet it ALMOST makes me wonder how she keeps such an innocent expression while reading something so LEWD, Tracy flips over a page. "Look, big brother. Porn is as realistic as a three-headed unicorn. So if you can watch lesbian porn with dem double Ds, then let me read  _my_  porn in peace."

"..." I can't argue against that.

Lost for how to carry on the convo, I scratch the back of my neck. "Well, make sure the paparazzi don't get their hands on your weirdass porn, because they might think it's mine-"

"I know, I knowww. I'll be careful." With a sigh, Tracy shuts her novel before burying her head into the couch. "I regret borrowing this from the library. This plot was so lameee. The art wasn't even that good too."

"Yeah," I say awkwardly, though on the inside, I'm secretly terrified by the twisted WTF plot that she's just read out loud. "Well, if you want any new ones, one of my friends gave me a couple doujins on Christmas as a prank gift-"

"Nesscas doujins? Ew, no thanks." Tracy wrinkles her nose. "I'm not reading porn about YOU. You're my  _brother,_  and Lucas is like, family. That's just weird."

Now it's  _MY_  turn to scrunch up my face. "Who told you to  _READ_  Nesscas doujins?! I'm just asking you to take  _everything_ , because the paparrazi watch you less. Can't you just burn them for me or something? I don't need them-"

"I'll take the other mangas, but you're on your own for the Nesscas stuff," The-Devil-that-is-my-sister says, now picking up an  _actual_  novel to read for her English class. "Good luck telling Lucas about that."

I sulk. Lucas walks out of the bathroom for his toothbrush. Tracy smirks into her copy of  _Little Women_.

I know it's stupid to get all worked up over something clearly  _fictional_ , but I guess the doujins made me weirdly uncomfortable tonight. Maybe it's their overt sexual content. Maybe it's the way they fetishized relationships in almost the same disturbing way Porky saw them. A part of me wants to vent about the day to Lucas, but I feel pretty solid so far after venting to four other friends, and decide to stay put. It doesn't seem fair for Lucas to be bombarded by another wave of bad news, so I decide to leave all the serious talk for tomorrow. Think positive thoughts. Mom's been discharged from the hospital. I cured my homesickness, and Lucas is safe. Let's end the day on a happy note.

So I'm pretty proud of myself when I drag out my video games, because when Lucas's eyes gleam, I know we're in for a good ride.

Unfortunately, like every time, it jumps from zero to a hundred.

And of course -  _like every time_  - it begins with a stupid competition.

One second, we're playing Cuphead against Baroness Von BonBon on the air mattress. At some point, during another heated battle of MarioKart, we started sabotaging each other - tickling each other in the ribs, yanking each other back by the shirt - and then Lucas gets that  _look_  on his face, like he's watching me do triple backflips but not really before we're back on the floor and I'm kissing him again.

"Your mom says I-" Lucas tugs his wrists free. "-can take the air mattress tonight-" I kiss him again. "...You're not listening, are you."

"Nope," I say happily, now looking for the optimum hugging spot, because Lucas is practically skin and bones wrapped in lean lean muscle, and I end up settling for his stomach because it's softest to squeeze and I get the least number of sharp pointy pokes there. Lucas initially stiffens up when I hug him, still not a fan of touch, but I make sure to keep the hug loose enough so he can either relax or break it off.

Give him space. Give him breathing room.

Slowly, closing his eyes with a pleased hum that rolls over his body, Lucas wraps himself around me, and I'm not ashamed to admit I'm grinning like I've added an awesome snapback to my prized hat collection. Through our empathy link, there's something strangely familiar about this warm and fuzzy feeling, about the way Lucas's eyes soften slightly, or even when his pupils grow round and dark, and I have to resist the urge to kiss him again.

When his magic cheers and celebrates in a shower of euphoria, I lean my head against his. "...I love you."

Lucas mumbles into my shoulder.

Confused, I frown. "Wait, what?"

Nosing his way into my neck in a futile attempt to hide -  _fuck, he's freezing_  - Lucas turns a faint shade of pink, and I can tell because it's spreading down the back of his neck. "Thanks...," he mumbles again.

And even though I wanna punch the sense into this dumbass again until he admits his own self-worth -  _because what the fuck, who the hell THANKS someone for loving them?!_ \- I'm giving into the biggest shit-eating grin ever, because it's a huge step up from before.

He said  _Thanks._

He didn't say  _Sorry._

I'll take "Thanks" over "Sorry" any day.

So I hug him tighter and bury my pleased face into his chest. Though when Lucas turns as rigid as a board, before suddenly pushing me away, I whine in complaint until I catch his expression.

His face slowly turns crimson.

My grin grows wider.

In response, Lucas rolls his eyes and turns his back around, the embarrassed flush in his cheeks spreading into the back of his arms when I stubbornly refuse to let him bolt like a cheetah and cuddle against his back on the air mattress.

I tug on the back of his shirt. "Turn back around," I whisper.

Lucas does, letting our legs tangle with a sigh. "...why do you want to change the color of your eyes."

I feel my face burn. "Oh." I swallow. "So you heard me talking to my mom."

"No. I spotted you standing in the colored contacts aisle." A pause. It's almost petulant. "Ness... I like your eyes."

I crack a smile. "Thanks buddy. That means a lot," I say softly. 

"And you should try to sleep," he murmurs. "You haven't been sleeping well for a while."

I grimace. "I've been having nightmares for the past few months."

"Giygas?"

I shudder again. "They're not about Giygas, no."

"Do you think it's a premonition."

"I talked to Paula about it, and she doesn't think it is...well, not  _all_  of them. It's hard to say WHAT they are," I rub my head. "I feel like... my dreams are really important. Somehow. Lemme talk to Shulk in the morning. He might know how to interpret visions." I ruffle his hair, and just the fact that he's here makes me smile. "Hey, it'll be okay."

And when Lucas slowly smiles back, his eyes lighting up, a part of me melts into a huge puddle of happy.

I won't let Porky take away this smile.

I will protect this smile.

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~oO0Oo~

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Tension.

A dusty battlefield on the brink of war.

On one end stands a barren village. On the other, a metropolitan born straight out of a child's play dream. Its multicolored lights flicker and die like an epileptic seizure. Just looking at it makes my stomach drop to the floor.

Nearby me, the terrified villagers watch the city from afar in a scattered crowd underneath the cherry blossom forest, looking uneasy and uncertain, but refuse to run.

Then a black dot.

Two.

Within seconds, a wave of shadows eats up the land.

An army of toys swarms over the horizon in a reign of tyranny, and in the light of the dying sun, I squint to make out a figure in the back, supported by a pair of Porky bots stumbling and tripping under the weight of his throne. Even from afar, I can recognize the disgusted sneer on his pudgy face, the unforgiving expression on his face that promises genocide.

Porky Minch.

Just as I move forward to intercept him, a hand stops me, holding me back by the shoulder.

A flourish of a blood red cape.

The caw of a raven.

Through the gloom, a pair of bright blue eyes pierce mine, the weight of a gold-tipped crown materializing upon his blond locks. The mystical staff in Lucas's right hand glows and pulsates with a magic that lodges the breath into my throat, a magic that cascades over the ring on his finger in a waterfall and ripples along his Awesome Cloak like the scales of a Dark Dragon. Sunflowers sprout and blossom at his feet, their shivering petals soaking up his magic as if he was the last ray of sunshine left for them to drink.

His eyes soften a fraction.

Then after a brief appraisal, Lucas lets go, brushing past me in the manner of someone determined to finish the job. Standing his ground alone in the battlefield, he sweeps his hands forward for a fight, ancient magic coursing through his fingers and raising the hairs on my arms, and the whispers of the villagers rally behind him in the background. They rise and fall in my ears as one, as a murmur, as a blessing, as a prayer that dared to cling onto the barest sliver of hope even in the oncoming onslaught of darkness, and as I'm hit by a major wave of deja vu, I catch the fated words:

_**All hail the King of Nowhere Islands.**_

* * *

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 _**~** _ _**ADDENDUM** _ _**~** _ _**  
** Fanart!_

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**.**

* * *

**wHELP I GOT MORE FANART ASKDJFDSL**

**thank you all im just gonna go stuff my face in a pillow brb**

**Any fanart shown here was done with the consent of the respective parties. One artist requested to remain anonymous, and didn't want me to post their art, so I respected their wishes :DDD I can tell a lot of love and time was put into all of them! likE** **JESUS CHRIST TFW your awesome readers work harder than the author and motivate the author to draw again  
**

Thanks to Cunning Cosmog for this awesome draw, smash ball sweaters and all ^-^ Check them out at cunning-cosmog.tumblr.com!

And thanks to Mayathecookie64 for this adorable draw :DDD _FLUFFY PINK TREES, YEAH!_  Check them out at Mayathecookie64.tumblr.com!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *In Earthbound, Ness has to beat a squad of police men and Chief Strong to get out of Onett - the game throws shade to America as a reference to police brutality (especially to a famous racial violence case in the 19XXs).
> 
> *In Earthbound, Ness's mom keeps referring to Paula as Ness's girlfriend on his calls home. At the end of the game, you have the choice of either walking Paula back home, or walking Paula to NESS'S home, implying that they were close and fond of each other.
> 
> *In Earthbound, Paula gets kidnapped twice: (1) by the Happy Happy cultists (i.e. KKK reference) who wanted to sacrifice(?) her as their high priestess - Ness first meets her in person when he frees her here (2) In the Fourside Department Store - The lights flicker for a second, tHEN PAULA'S GONE FROM YOUR PARTY AAAH
> 
> *In Mother 3, The Awesome Ring, Awesome Crown, Awesome Cloak, and Mystical Staff are all the best ultimate equips for Lucas dropped by enemies in-game.
> 
> *In Mother 3, Lucas's hometown - Tazmily Village - is located on the Nowhere Islands.
> 
> *In Mother 3, Lucas's dad - Flint - is the first person in the Village to land in jail after assaulting his fellow villagers, as a result of helpless grief born from the instant he hears of Hinawa's death.


	34. When You Least Expect It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Tazmily, Lucas feels the calm before the storm.  
> Meanwhile, Ness searches for a protractor. Or a yardstick. Or maybe just a stick. I dunno, man, American units are weird.  
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Happy pills?  
> Hmm.  
> Hmmm.  
> wheres the lamb saUce
> 
> A headcanon: Lucas and Ness's magic makes them lighter, which explains why they're floatier characters. This explains Ness's sudden weight while drunk in chapter 3 (alks impaired his senses, blocking off most of his magic after a lucky teleportation to Luigi's bathroom).
> 
> Brb crying in the club because wHAT THE HECK IS THIS MONSTROUS WORDCOUNT JESUS  
> One day, I promise. If I ever try to write a multichapter fic, I'll cap it within 200k words. And finish up a current longfic. And update my other longfic. But that day isn't today. Today, Lucas is too busy being a mood.
> 
> A part of Lucas's chapter was inspired by one of my best friends. They're an athlete who's strong af, but looked ridiculously skinny because they had almost little to no body fat. One day, some twit asked if they were anorexic, and it bothered them for the rest of the day ;-; so don't be a twit! Das rite be a twizzler :D
> 
> Again, thanks to all my lurkers and readers, who somehow have the unearthly patience to deal with ma sporadic updates haha! You guys rock.
> 
> Enjoy! :D

The night before our flight, Ness's mom sits us down for a serious talk on boundaries. Though she's clear to express her disapproval if we  _are_  sexually active this early in our relationship, she's adamant that we stay safe  _if_  we fool around, expressing a surprising amount of knowledge over Smash City's  _Romeo and Juliet_  laws and STDs and PrEP.

I don't complain. Mostly because Ness does enough for the two of us.

"-and the importance of consent."

 _"Mom_ ,  _thank you, we geddit now-_ " Ness whines, but Ness's mom gives him a look.

"I would've given you both this talk even if you were dating other people."

But next morning, Ness's antsy mood lingers, escaping through the agitated popping of his magic when we check in for our flight.

"-have a reservation for a SkyLimo at 8 am."

Surprised, I lower my voice. "We're not riding the SkyTrain?"

"Public transportation's not an option for a while. Master Hand covers all private rides by the Twelve. You're with me, so don't worry about paying me ba-  _yeah, I'd like to keep the receipt. Thanks,_ " Ness breaks off when the ticketer confirms our interdimensional flight.

Crammed on all sides by Master Hand's approved bodyguards, I throw Ness a pleading look, but with a wince, Ness shakes his head in a clear  _no_. "Smile and wave," is all he murmurs under his breath, and reluctantly, I let them herd us away. Usually slipping away the second Ness's bodyguards arrive on scene, today, I'm not given that luxury. For whatever reason, they surround us like a school of fish, refusing to let me squeeze through any gaps and shielding us from the wrath of the paparazzi.

Arguably, this draws more attention from the pedestrians.

Still, when a little girl and boy - twin siblings - manage to slip through the barricade chiming for an autograph, Ness beams, signing their baseballs before ushering them safely to their parents.

"I wanna grow up an' be a Smasher like  _you_  one day," The girl chirps up at me, asking for my autograph again when I hesitate, and flustered beyond belief, I cave in. Though I get what she means, I don't want my autograph to somehow wind up as a freaky voodoo curse and leave her twin brother dead too. "My brother makes fun of my ice powers all the time-"

 _"Older_  brother," her twin corrects her with a smug look on his face.

"Older by  _three_  minutes."

"Still older."

"Ice powers are cooler," I agree, and the girl whirls around to her brother, beaming in validation.

"Ha, Nicholas! Lucas said my powers are  _cooler_  than yours!"

"Yeah whatever, Circe." Her twin brother dismisses her with a flippant wave, and flickering embers sputter off his fingertips. "He has BOTH powers, genius."

"Exactly!"

"Lemme get this straight - you said ice powers are  _cooler?_ " Ness complains when we pass the private SkyLimo TSA. "I can't believe you inadvertently dissed me in front of my fans-"

"You have fans?" I ask innocently.

Ness punches me in the shoulder.

 _"Haha ow, I was kidding_ \- Don't worry, I got it," I say, turning around to sling my bag from the security terminal, and one of Ness's bodyguards dutifully backs away. Surveying me with a winning poker-face, she must be a new addition to the team, and after shifting through my memories, I confirm that her face is unfamiliar... though I've noticed how she's given me a wide berth wherever we went.

She's not the only one. Many of the Mansion's bodyguards -  _and Assist Trophies_  - easily grow uncomfortable around me. Their body language betrays their unease.

It's inevitable. The team of bodyguards flocks closer to Ness in an obvious sign of distrust. 

I keep to myself and pretend to find the floor interesting.

Still, Ness must've sensed tension, because -  _only breaking stride to stop an entitled man from harassing one of his bodyguards_  - he pipes up, "What's up, Chun-Li?"

"I'm keeping my distance, Master Ness."

"Does Lucas intimidate you?"

"Not so. I simply do not know how to shield my mind, and wish to maintain my distance until I complete my training module with Lucario," she says carefully.

"That's okay, but make sure not to make Lucas feel unwelcome," Ness encourages, and her shoulders relax.

"Of course, Master Ness."

"And stop it with the  _Master Ness_ bullshit, just Ness is good-"

When I shove our suitcases into the baggage carrier and purposely sit in the farthest seat of Master Hand's SkyLimo, a frowning Ness waves away his bodyguards and follows me to the back.

"You stay up front. I'm making all your bodyguards nervous," I try when we're out of earshot. "They're afraid that I'll read their minds-"

"Well yeah, and I can read everyone's fucking feelings." Straining to push me into a roomier seat with a poker table, Ness catches my eye and breaks into an anxious smile. "Listen, they just need time to get used to you-"

"They don't have to. They're  _your_  bodyguards."

"Aha so, about that-" Ness coughs into his hand. "From now on, they're kinda  _your_  bodyguards too. We're sharing my team whenever we leave the mansion."

"...why."

"Porky's back."

"He's been back since the SkyTrain bombing."

"Except I got a personal tip-off. I'm calling it - he's gonna cause the next CODE RED."

"A personal tip-off?"

Trying to keep it on the down low, Ness ducks his head under the seats, but I know that he's double-checking for spyware. Or bugs. I can tell, because his bodyguards always conduct safety checks on all his private rides. Ness just forgoes the pampering and chooses to ride economy class because of me.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you during the ride. Or at least, most of it. I still need time to process a few things, but I promise I'll tell you everything when I'm ready." Ness pops his head back up with a groan. "All the other smashers are gonna give us SO much flack for this-"

"Really?"

"According to public eye, Smashers are held responsible for their respective villains. It's supposed to be shameful to let your villains wreak havoc in your world whenever they want."

"That makes no sense. We're not the local lawforce."

"It doesn't, but it is what is it. We represent our worlds, so this won't look good. Oh yeah, I'm  _definitely_  looking forward to seeing Wario again," Ness says glumly. Chun-Li returns, confirming my earlier suspicion with an  _ALL CLEAR_  on hidden cameras and glue bombs, and it's only when she leaves that Ness finally lets loose, intertwining our fingers and leaning against my shoulder with a relieved sigh.

The SkyLimo engine hums.

Even the quality difference is noticeable. The hum of the SkyLimo is subtly quieter than that of the SkyTrain.

With Ness cuddling against my side, I feel spoiled silly, sitting in a private ride flooded by limitless entertainment at my fingers and thousands of drinks I'll never get the time to see or touch, but I'm just happy because the seats in the SkyLimo don't kill my legs. Considering the horror stories I've heard about planes, the leg room in the SkyTrain isn't bad, but I can't stretch my legs all the way if someone else takes the front seat.

Chairs and doorways. My true nemeses.

"So..." Ness tosses his pack of cards on our vast table and throws me a hesitant look. "...You sure you don't wanna see your dad one last time? Before we leave and all?"

I give him a look. "He disowned me."

"Oh yeah. Right."

"Besides, I think he moved. I stopped by the apartment yesterday. Someone else answered the door."

Ness unusually quietens down. "Do you miss him?"

I don't know.

He's still my dad.

With a low  _blip,_  the SkyLimo hovers above the station like a feather, then blinks into a wormhole at the speed of light.

* * *

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_~ **Chapter Thirty-Four** ~_

_**When You Least Expect It** _

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* * *

When life hits you hard, you learn to roll with the punches.

Even with Porky breathing down our necks, the days leading into February are happy. We spark another prank war when Ness tapes his stupid autograph over my sleeping face, and I retaliate by moving all our pots and pans to the highest kitchen cabinet out of his reach. We live in the moment, enjoying little pockets of time together whenever we can, recharging our magic through each other until we can't tell feelings apart from thoughts.

During this time, I even get a tiny potted plant. An unexpected gift from Peach, who had been begging nearby flower shops to take her spare plants and was all too grateful to have given one of her pot plants away to a home, I sprinkle my Gerbera with water and watch its petals beam brightly with beads of dew. It's almost therapeutic, talking to one of my mom's favorite flowers as it blooms and blossoms into life in front of my eyes.

"It likes you," Ness says seriously one day, out of the blue, and as I poke the tiny pot plant into a sunny spot on the balcony, I wonder how far his empath powers extend to plants and animals.

One late evening when I tuck the tiny pot plant back on my bookcase, Ness sneaks over for a cuddle, only to drain my magic into his hands for another silly stunt. Floating to the ceiling from excess of magic, Ness flips somersaults in the air in an ungraceful imitation of Peter Pan and flaps his arms like a bumblebee bobbing up and down, before catching my eye with a happy shout of  _"Lucas, look! I'm sUPERMAN!"_

I cut our mental connection, and ( _with a satisfied grin_ ) watch him drop to the couch like a stone.

I've put Ness in an awkward situation with Porky, I think, as Ness playfully wrestles me into a headlock. The easiest solution, it seems, is to play Porky's bluff and publicly come out of the closet, but I'm hesitant to do so unless as a last resort, because while I don't want to put Ness and his family in peril, I want to come out on my own terms. When the cards are ready. I want to play the game when I have a good hand, when as of now, I'm drawing four in UNO and deciding how to break things to my grandfather without losing the trust of the villagers at home. I'm not sure how I ended up in this position, but I've never liked diplomacy, never liked the subtle politics behind every word and every move I make, and all of a sudden, I can more easily relate to Ness and his sense of responsibility for the home he left behind.

"I never really got the chance to come out on my own terms," Ness says later that night,  _(obliviously)_  guessing what's been on my mind. "You know I was outed. Accidentally. I honestly still don't know  _what_  I am. I guess it all worked out in the end, but I really don't want you to go through the same mess too."

Neither do I.

Unable to voice my gratitude, I curl around him like a blanket, and hope he can understand what I mean. I don't do words, not when the words I'm looking for don't do the feelings justice, so instead I close my eyes and try to remember how Ness's back ripples under my hands like liquid muscle.

A stray spark floats off Ness's hand.

Still, I feel a detached sense of unease from Ness's empathy link as I wait for him to unravel everything that happened back at home. There's something that's distinctly missing from Porky's blackmail, something that Ness is purposely leaving out beyond Porky's classic threat of  _" **I'll make you, your family, and your friends suffer**_ **"**  from the memory Ness let me read. But from the way Ness hugs me a little longer before work, or checks the bathroom periodically for hidden cameras, or refuses to sleep until I return home from patrol duty, I can't help but feel concerned that Porky's blackmail isn't an empty threat.

"-Ness, I'm glad to see you too, but I can't breathe," I manage when Ness dive-tackles me the second I return home from yet another late patrol duty shift. He knows I was on data desk duty today - as long as no one else needed backup, all I do is sit and twiddle my thumbs bored at the phone. Still, Ness refuses to let go, shaking his head into my chest and latching onto me more tightly like a clamp.

I don't like this.

I don't like how upset Porky makes Ness feel.

This - _if nothing else_  - makes me more determined to see Porky behind bars. One day, I vow. If Ness doesn't get to him first, then I'll take him down. Porky's hurt more than enough people. I won't let him hurt anyone else.

I'm already at the top of Porky's blacklist. Porky doesn't scare me anymore.

Duster's warning echoes in my head.

...I wonder if Claus regretted facing down the Drago that killed Mom.

The sinking feeling intensifies in the pit of my stomach.

So I do my best to ward off Ness's worries, pouring out pulse after pulse of magic into his back until Ness relaxes and lets go. He's got enough on his shoulders without adding me to the mix.

Then all too soon, it's the 1st of February.

I've heard that love comes when you least expect it, but Master Hand takes this saying to heart in the form of his Valentine's Day decor. To my horror, when a cloud of gnarly pink glitter attacks my hands in the lobby, I trip backwards in my haste to escape, instead unceremoniously landing into another glitter bomb as Princess Peach corners Samus at the foot of the stairs.

"You know, Samus..." Peach smiles, fluttering her lashes under her parasol. "Someone told me that Lil' Mac's single-"

"Peach, I swear to Mother Brain, if you try to hook me up with anyone this month-"

"One more date won't kill you."

"That's what you said last time. I've already gone on a date with Captain Falcon and another with Snake in the past year." When Peach still looks at her hopefully, Samus sighs and clicks open her helmet visor. "Look... Princess. I appreciate the dates you set up for me. They were..." a pause. "...fun. I can't remember the last time I've gone on a fun date with anyone, and both guys aren't bad people. Still, nothing personal against them and you, but I'm not interested in a relationship. We've already gone through this before, Peach. I don't want kids."

"You don't  _have_  to have kids to have a fulfilling relationship-"

"Still not interested. Even if I  _wanted_  to date someone, my line of work's too dangerous for anyone else to handle. I'm not risking it, not after Adam-" Samus's face closes up. "Nevermind."

Her eyes dawning with understanding, Peach touches her by the elbow. "It was only a suggestion, dear," she says softly. "Samus, I'm worried that you don't have more friends your age. Although, one day, if you ever change your mind on the dating scene, I could set you up with another bachelor. Maybe all you need is a fresh face on the roster-"

"Lucas, what the fuck are you doing? C'mon, let's 3 stock," Samus says loudly, dragging me away in relief as I furiously struggle to wipe the magic glitter off my hands with little success. I hate glitter. It's got a personal vendetta against everybody, sticking its mess everywhere like no one's business.

Luckily, Ness shares my disdain for the tacky Valentine's Day ornaments. Behind a pink elevator lathered with sickly-sweet hearts and plastered from tip-to-toe with white shoe-laced ribbons, he catches my eye and makes over-the-top retching noises, and I pretend to gag back. While I've honestly got nothing against Valentine's Day and the happiness of others, I'm less-than-keen on accidentally walking in on naked people going crazy for the sake of losing their virginity on a pseudo-holiday.

"Heads up," Ness warns me, jogging to my side. "Whatever you do,  _don't_  go to the bathroom on the second floor. I'm sure someone was having sex behind one of the bathroom stalls, but like heck I was staying to know who-"

I wrinkle my nose. "Classy."

"I know, right.  _G_ _iygas,_  what's with everyone wanting to fuck like rabbits this month," Ness grumbles, and I stifle a laugh, because it's true.

As if on cue, Master Hand gathers us in an "emergency meeting" next morning to remind us of Mansion protocol.

 **"Yesterday afternoon, two Assist Trophies demonstrated unprofessional behavior during work hours, and were caught red-handed during intercourse**   **in the latrines** **by the janitor** ," he says balefully.  **"After a review by the High Committee and a lengthy confession by the traumatized janitor, the Assist Trophies responsible were regrettably suspended from our ranks for a duration of two weeks. Let this serve as a reminder of due diligence, to remain professional on company time and to keep all acts of privacy behind closed doors afterhours. Moreover, you can pick up free contraceptives by the main Reception Desk on all floors, including the new Sauna, Hot Springs, and Public Spa on the 7th floor. That is all. Thank you for your time."**

" **hAhA! tHEy hAd sEX! _"_**  Crazy Hand laughs.

**"Brother, please."**

**"aNd thEY gOT CAuGhT** **!"**

**" _Brother."_**

**"h** **OES!"**

I feel for the poor janitor. He doesn't get paid enough for this.

In contrast, the impromptu romp in the men's bathrooms makes Popo look like a holy saint of self-control.

"Having sex at work? Fucking noobs," Popo says, shaking his head when I appear in Ness's stead. I'm glad to see that he's feeling better, though he's  _(understandably)_  busy moving out. "Dude, that's like rule number two of what NOT to do at work, ever."

"What's rule number one?"

"Never surf on company wifi. But if we're talking about rules of  _SEX-_ " Popo grins. "-don't forget to attend to her needs. Say, where's backthrow boy?"

"Stuck in a meeting."

"Damn, Ness is popular these days," Popo shoulders the edge of another box into the moving van and frees a Toon Link from being flattened into a pancake. "It's like everybody needs to talk to him these days. Master Hand, Jeff, Phosphora, Peach,  _Jeff_ -"

"Ness panicked. He thought you already moved out-"

"Bro, tell him not to worry. I only wanted to ask if he could help me move out today- but hey, you're here. Awesome. Actually, I was supposed to have left with Nana Saturday, but stayed behind to search for a good therapist since Master Hand offered to cover the cost. And well, I'm trying to work on my sex addiction so yeah... therapy. I doubt I'm gonna stay in rehab long, cuz it's so fucking pricey, so the therapist is a better investment on the long run. That way, I can help Nana and the res out the quicker I'm feeling better- Aw Toon, don't cry. We'll be back next tourney, dudes-"

"I'm not crying!" Toon Link bursts out, furiously rubbing his swollen eyes. "I don't get why you and Nana didn't stay for the Summer-"

Popo laughs before patting him on the back. "Dude, I would've  _massively_  failed the drug test next week. Managed to stay sober for the drug test up to Br4wl, but I don't think I could've kept my addiction down another time. Master Hand would've fired my ass off his stove- thanks Red, I can take that box. And Toon, you're gonna miss your brawl. Go, dude."

Toon's ears droop. As if to prove Popo right, seconds later, Zelda bursts out of the front doors of the Mansion in the manner of searching for someone - though she's surprised when Toon dives over to sob unabashedly into her dress. Consoling him with a word, Zelda gives Popo her well-wishes along with some of Peach's baked goods.

"I wish we could've given you a proper farewell, but it seems like many Smashers are stuck in brawls after taking Saturday to see your sister off. Peach said she would've baked you more cookies if not for Luigi's wedding last week-"

"Nah, it's fine. Everyone thought I was leaving then too, and I said my goodbyes to Master Hand early. Can you take Toon inside with you? If you don't, he's gonna get in trouble for missing his brawl. Seriously, if he loses to WARIO of all people, I'm gonna be back for an ass-kicking- You too _,_  Red. I told ya, I got the last box."

Toon makes a sound between a laugh and a hiccup. Looking appalled by Popo's language, but torn between telling Popo off or going easy on him because it's his last day, Zelda settles for an awkward  _well, take care now_  before ushering Toon back inside. Tipping his hat in farewell, Red stalks back into the Mansion without meeting my eyes.

Picking up the last box, Popo inclines his head. "Speaking of therapy- what's the matter with Red?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Ness doesn't know either."

"Obviously. If you ask me, Red's got something against the guy. Got him a pink dildo for last Christmas-"

This takes me aback. "I never knew."

"Well, as far as prank gifts go, it was fabulously offensive. Maybe more fabulous than offensive? Hmm. I'd say 60/40 split, give or take. But hey, it's Red. Who knows why the hell he acts the way he does." Popo shrugs. "Given that Toon doesn't seem to know either, I figured that Red might spill the beans around you. If I had to guess, it sure sounds to me like he's got a bad case of the Third Wheel. You're in a relationship. That, and you haven't really had the time to hang out since Porky made his debut. That's what I'd say, but what do I know? I'm the one night stand, not his fairy godmother."

"Oh." My face burns. "I'll try to catch up with him."

"Yeah, bro. Don't expect the rest of the guys to say it out loud, but we do care about you. Just don't forget about us too, all right?"

"I won't."

"Good." Grabbing my phone, Popo types something in it before tossing it back. "Now you have my number, and Nana's. Go wild."

"Porky stole Ness's number through my contacts-"

"Yeah well, guess what? I don't care. You holler, we'll be there in a snap. Dude, we'll be back after two seasons, so you might as well take our numbers. You made Nana super worried when you disappeared on us last time. Just don't lose your phone anymore, and we've got a deal." The moving van honks. Taking shotgun, Popo hops in, throwing up a ridiculous gansgta pose that makes me roll my eyes with a smile.  _"Ladies and gents, peace out."_

The moving van reverses around the Gamecube fountain.

Then it stops.

Popo rolls down the window. Sunlight glints off the shades covering his eyes. "Oh yeah, Lucas. One more thing."

I look up.

Popo's smile doesn't change. Despite the heat of the midday sun, the air drops by ten degrees. "Fuck Porky Minch."

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~oO0Oo~

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.

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"Porky Minch? Hey, isn't he that fat kid from Subspace?"

...

"He can  _walk?"_

...

"I mean, compared to Tabuu and Rayquaza, he doesn't seem that dangerous... Can't you guys handle him yourselves? He's  _your_  villain, right?"

...

"Oh nooo, help us all! It's Porky Minch! He's gonna roll over the Mansion like a giant beachball and flatten everybody in it! Wahahaha. Spooky."

...

"Ness said that Porky's back-"

"Yeah, and he's back to murder my dead mom-" I start before noticing Samus lounging nearby in an arm chair. She raises her eyebrows at my sarcastic quip, and I fluster. "Sorry, I- I snapped. I thought you were someone else."

In an almost lazy yet practiced fashion, Samus reloads her blaster. "Okay, who's the fucker asking for an asskicking?"

"It's not-"

"Names, Lucas."

"No- It's just-" I give up, sinking into an armchair. "No one here takes Porky seriously."

" _I_  do," Samus says, and scampering our way, Pikachu dives into Samus's arms with a happy squeak.

"Except you."

" _Pikaa."_

"And Pikachu."

Satisfied, Pikachu licks himself clean.  _"(My duty here is done)."_

"If it helps, I think most of the Smashers  _do_  believe you guys," Samus sighs, retracting her blaster. "There's only one problem: They've got no idea  _how_  dangerous Porky can be. Because let me guess. Porky's a manipulative sociopath. Porky's got a clean record since Subspace. And if Porky's "supposedly" done any crimes, he somehow has a knack for pinning it down on other innocent people and successfully getting away with it."

She's got him down to the dot. "How-?"

"Personal experience." Samus's mouth tightens into a dangerous line. "Porky doesn't have to be a decrepit fifty-foot dragon to be intimidating, because he fucks with your mind. It's what makes villains like him and Ridley so dangerous. No one sees them coming, until they DO. And by then, it'll be too late to fight back."

Her accurate character breakdown raises the goosebumps on my arms.

I wonder if even Ness himself knows how big of a threat we're up against. It's not every day your neighbor turns into a sociopath stalker, and while I can understand childhood rivalry, maybe even blatant  _animosity,_ Porky's obsession over Ness is... borderline disturbing to the say the least.

A soft meow.

In the mood for affection, Cereza the kitten pads over and rubs her purring head against Samus's leg. From Samus's lap, Pikachu bristles at the unwelcome display, his ears twitching. " _(Go find your own two-legs to tame, you zero voltage feline)._ "

Though not understanding  _pika-speak_ , Cereza narrows her eyes, sensing hostility, and hisses, fluffing herself up to twice her size.

Pikachu doesn't bite the bait. Within the blink of an eye, Pikachu bats at Samus's hands and lets out an adorably sweet  _chaaa,_  all playful and innocent smiles.

Oblivious to the stand-down between the two, Samus complies to Pikachu's request, absentmindedly stroking him between the ears, and Pikachu flashes Cereza the smuggest grin a Pikachu could ever make on its chubby face. " _(See. **My** human. No domesticated Chinese-ripoff Meowth can match my prowess of the cute.)_ "

An incredulous Samus watches Cereza brush past her, as if Samus herself was beneath her notice. "I feel like I'm missing out on an entire world of conversation," she says, and in typical cat fashion, Cereza dramatically feigns disinterest for Samus's leg, hoping instead to seek my attention.

"You have no idea," I say with amusement, now scratching a purring Cereza behind her ears. And people wonder why I'm a  _dog_  person.

A whizz of quills hits the pavement. "Did someone say _, MISSING OUT?"_ Sonic grins, spinning back onto his dancing feet, and a frightened Cereza accidentally sinks her nails into my arm before diving underneath the pool table with a hiss. "Man, no wonder you guys always look like you've got a serious case of FOMO. Gotta go fast!"

"Good to see you too, Sonic. Might wanna lay off of the sugar next time."

"When in Rome, Samus. As Julius Caesar said, seize the day!"

"I think  _Carpe Diem_  was coined by Horace, not Caesar."

"Really? Roman names are all Pig Latin to me." In the blink of an eye, Sonic blurs to the arm of Samus's arm chair. Making himself comfy, he kicks back to enjoy basking in the sunlight reflecting off the overarching windows. "Heya, Lucas! What's cooking?"

"What's cooking?" Samus scowls. "More like  _who's_  cooking up a scheme-"

"Who-da-whatta is?'

"Porky Minch."

Sonic blurs to my armrest with renewed interest. "So it's true? No bluff?"

"Oh- yeah." I say, still trying to blink the disorientation from my eyes. You'd think that rooming with Ness would've acclimated me to fast talkers, but whenever Sanic speaks as quickly as he moves, it sounds like he's high on Helium. "The Alvin and the Chipmunk" voice, as Ness dubs it.

"Your villain, eh? Tough break, kid," Sonic tuts. "And I thought Ness was  _joking._  Yeah, I'd rather take on Eggman over "Mister Hot Air Balloon" any day. Better see if ol' Eggman's heard anything in one of his  ** _VILLAIN ANONYMOUS_**  meets, but I think  _he's_  even creeped out by Porky Minch. Apparently every civilian who's ever butt heads with Porky Minch's gone missing. Like, no bodies, no trace. Nothing. Eggman even says that the kid owns a personal museum of stolen relics, and swears that Porky has a-" Nervously glancing to the side, Sonic lowers his voice. "-shrine packed with Ness amiibos." 

This detail doesn't go unnoticed. "A shrine packed with  _Ness_  amiibos?" I repeat with a frown. "I thought those were in shortage-"

"Hey, don't quote me on it. Eggman likes to eggs-aggerate everything, but even if the stuff he's said about Porky isn't true... man!" Sonic visibly shudders. "I'd hate to know what Porky'd do to someone who  _really_  grinds his gears. Talk about creeper to the max-  _Oh hey,_ _Pikachu!"_  Ever the avid subject changer, Sonic blurs back over to Pikachu for a high five. "Did you hear? We're movie star buds now!"

"Oh, Pikachu? Yeah, he's a sly rascal. Charmed everyone on set, didn't you, pal? You might've fooled everyone into thinking you were harmless and adorable, but I know better, you killing machine," Samus affectionately ruffles Pikachu behind the ears, and Pikachu rubs his cheeks against her fingers with another happy  _"chAAA."_

"Oh, oh! Don't forget about me, Samus!" Eager for praise, Sonic jumps into the air like an elementary school hopeful asking for bonus points. "I know, I charmed everyone on set too-"

 _"Pikachu_  was well-behaved and worked exceptionally well with his voice actor. Meanwhile, I heard  _you_  were bouncing off the walls-"

"I was excited!"

"-and refusing to comply with the camera crew-"

"They couldn't keep up with the shots-"

"-so the animators had to cram in a lot of shoddy CGI to fill in the gaps."

Okay, I had to laugh. No wonder his movie trailer flopped fantastically.

"Can you BLAME me?" Sonic complains, offended. "I'm a free being! A creature of STYLE. You can't expect me to sit still on set and rehearse the same line 100 times like one of Eggman's marionettes-" We toss him a look at the same time. Catching the look, Sonic sulks, his quills deflating. "Okay, okay, you're right. I got too hyped up and let it get to my ego."

"To be fair, they could've done a better work on the CGI. Seems like they pushed back the release date, so you might want to behave on set when they call you back in. Either way, no amount of CGI can beat the original," Samus says, and true to his nickname as the Mansion's  _attention hog_ , Sonic's quills perk right back up at the stroke of his own ego.

"Aw, Samus... You really mean that?"

"No. She's just trying to make you feel better, you imbecile," Ganandorf chortles past, and his attention sold, Sonic zooms over to him, ready to argue over the logistics of Samus's words.

As soon as their excited jabbering and annoyed grumbling fade around the corner, Samus reclines back against her armchair. "Finally. Some peace and quiet."

But even that too is shattered when Pikachu's ears twitch for the second time that day. Static electricity popping from his cheeks, he perks his head up, evidently curious when another Pikachu scampers in its direction.

_"Pika!"_

_"Chu...?"_

We watch Pikachu hop off Samus's lap, sniffing over the newcomer, and as Pikachu the Second affectionately butts his cheek against his, electricity sparks from their waving tails like a magnetic metronome. In what I recognize as a surprising display of respect, Pikachu finally lowers his ears, rubbing his cheek against Pikachu the Second. Their cheeks zap and crackle with a stormy static that weighs down the air.

"What do you mean,  _you can't let me in?_  You just let  _his Pikachu_  in-" Struggling to push Tinkle off him, a boy with a shock of brown hair waves my way. "Hey you, Elvis! Elvis Presley!" When I look at him less-than-bemused, he confirms, "Yeah you, Johnny Bravo!"

"Johnny Bravo?"

"Your hair," He impatiently makes a gesture like he's sweeping a hand through his own hair. "It's got that sWOOSHY ice cream swirl. Anyways, tell  _pipsqueak_  here-" The boy points at Tinkle. "-that I'm here for this dumbass named Red."

Samus frowns. "Who're you?"

"The name's Gary." He smiles, his teeth glinting in the light. "Gary Muthafuckin Oak. But you can call me Blue."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

The confrontation doesn't take long.

From afar, Blue stands behind Tinkle's Security desk, crossing his arms and tapping his foot in a clear sign of impatience. Though I can't hear what he says, the arrogant way Blue holds himself betrays much of his character. Confident. Charismatic. Decked out in his nasally voice and prideful ego, Blue's an antithesis to the deadpan boy standing across from him.

With his own Pikachu perched on his shoulder, Red listlessly watches Blue rant and vent about whoever knows what.

Then Red interrupts him.

Whatever Red's muttered in response doesn't make Blue happy.

Slowly, I watch as Blue's smirk falls into a scowl. His voice escalating, Blue bristles and prods Red in the chest, as if trying to emphasize each of his points.

Red's done listening. Shoving his Pikachu back into Blue's incredulous hands, Red shrugs Blue's hand off, yanking his own cap over his face before stalking back over the Security line.

Watching Blue's expression, I think this is the first time I've ever seen someone's face genuinely turn from his namesake color to an eggplant purple with rage.

I'm mildly impressed.

Blue leans as far as he can over the security line without triggering Tinkle's ire. "Go on! Walk away! Like I give a shit, you bastard," Blue screams. "Your mom thinks you're dead! We  _all_  did! You vanished from Mt Silver for  _years_  without a fucking word, and instead of moving on, I find you bumming around  _here_  after that upstart trainer decked your ass-"

Like clockwork, Red swivels back around, marching back over to Blue. His sudden increase in pace speaks of agitation.

As if ignoring the sudden change in Red's body language, Blue eggs him on with a gloating laugh. "Yeah, that's right. You might've beaten me before, but at least I never turned into a depressed, spineless bitch like you when Gold thrashed your-"

Then Red punches him across the face.

They go down flailing, Blue with a shriek of  _"OW! Not my faCE, you cheap bastaRD! Oh, it's ON!"_

That's our cue.

We jump to our feet.

"Okay. Break it up, boys," Samus says sharply, pulling them apart, and in the background, a frantic-beyond-inconsolable Tinkle wails for security. Panting, Red says nothing to defend himself, wiping the blood off his cut cheek, and Blue clutches his bleeding nose. "What's going on here?!"

"Dough deed doo day," Blue says, giving Red a nasty glare. He tries to sniff his congestion away, and hobbles upright. "I've had enough- Smell ya later, ya freakin' loser. Come on, Pikachu."

With a sad  _Pikapi_ , Pikachu the Second scampers away, hopping onto Blue's shoulder.

As if he hadn't heard Blue's less-than-enthusiastic farewell or watched the dramatic exit, Red roughly shakes Samus off and storms up the stairs. Samus and I share a troubled glance.

She's got a brawl in fifteen minutes.

I don't.

"I'll check on him," I mumble, turning to the stairs.

Retracing his steps, I find Red in the South Wing, his Charizard curled up around him like a dragon hoarding its treasure. With a pitiful snort of smoke, Charizard raises his head up at my approach, before giving into a rumble like a sad volcano. Sensing that Red might want to be left alone, I hesitate until Charizard snakes his head over, snapping his maw open and tugging the edge of my shirt over.

 _"(Trainer needs Two-legs Human Lucas. Not Charizard)."_  Charizard says through clamped teeth. Without waiting to hear my response, Charizard opens his wings, dragging me next to his trainer with his jaws, before swathing his wings overhead like a canopy and enveloping us in darkness.

I blink the stars out of my vision, blindly feeling around the warm scaly walls, and Charizard rumbles again under my fingertips before wrapping us in tighter like a tent. Like Samus's space heater, the translucent veins in his wings faintly pulsate with heat from the fire in his belly.

The only source of light here is Charizard's vital tail flame.

His eyes devoid of emotion, Red watches it flicker and glow like a dying matchstick.

I shuffle over, oddly reminiscent of our Subspace camp-outs. Despite my late growth spurt, he's still slightly taller than me. 

"Blue's leaving on the SkyTrain tomorrow," I say quietly, reminded of Ness's homesickness.

"..."

"When was the last time you saw your mom?"

"..."

Recalling some of Red's Pokemon trivia from long ago, I reach for the end of Charizard's tail, whispering an incantation. The tail flame flares up, looking much healthier, and Charizard makes soft earthquake noises as if feeling slightly better.

"You remember," Red suddenly starts.

"I do."

At this, Red manages to crack a small smile, but stays silent. His thoughts cloud my mind, unusually loud and clamorous and discordant.

"I lost."

"You've lost before."

"I  _lost,"_  Red repeats, less like someone disbelieving of the truth, more like someone trying to ground that truth into reality. More like a confession. He's lost many times in this tournament, the same way we've all had our fair share of wins and losses, but Red doesn't seem to be talking about Smash. We don't need words to understand that the defeat he's talking about sapped him of his sense of purpose.

 _ **I'm**  lost_, His thoughts whisper, fluttering around my head like butterflies.

He's felt this way for a while.

Blue was just the breaking point.

"...Show me," I say.

Unfaltering, Red looks me straight in the eye.

Like a flurry of minnows, Red's thoughts flicker, and flashes of his memories surface into my mind. His challenger's third try. A howling blizzard on a white-topped peak. Two Pokeballs, their smooth curvature like ice in his own numb hands. Down to one. Starter versus starter. Lightning versus Fire.

Most unforgettable is the face of his opponent. A boyish face. A cocky, crooked smirk. An iconic snapback. Lit against a roaring explosion of flame, it's a child prodigy brimming with messy black hair and a childish mischief, his face bearing an uncanny resemblance to someone familiar, barring the golden gleam of his burning eyes-

_The perfect Champion is undefeatable._

"I never wanted to be Champion. I only wanted to be the very best," he says. His voice, though soft, sounds heavy and tired. It's a voice that weighs with the exhaustion of burn-out, of unseen burdens brought on by a too-early preteen fame, and I wonder if he's trying to escape from the attention of his home world and everyone in it. While I can't relate to his popular Pokemon franchise, I've seen Ness buckle more than once under the onslaught of paparazzi after Giygas's defeat, and can't imagine that that pressure would be much easier on someone younger. It would make anyone want to live alone on a mountain forever.

"No one's undefeatable. Not even the Champion, nor the Elite Four." I pause. He's already beaten both. I'm only repeating what he already knows. "...Not even the Chosen Twelve."

Red stews over this.

Charizard's flame grows brighter.

Red curls up, bringing his knees to his chest.  _...Want space._

Awkwardly patting him on the hand, I comply, ducking underneath Charizard's massive wings. Loyal to the death, Charizard gives into a content rumble and shuts his eyes, wrapping his wings around his trainer.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

In all my formal matches against Ness, I've never won.

I've outrun him in most of our impromptu races. Taken gold in a good number of our practice matches.

But never in an official tournament.

No matter how many times Ness praises that I'm a fast learner or complains at how much he sucks at school, Ness is undoubtedly a brawling prodigy. An addicted adrenaline-seeker, even without the hours he's poured into training, Ness's motor skills and reaction time - on top of his psychic potential and impromptu split-second battle tactics- make him a true devil on the battlefield.

Smash only highlighted what was already there. He's found his niche, and made it his.

Still, this doesn't stop me from spiking his last stock into the blastzone later that day.

He's stubborn to win, but so am I.

Catching his breath, Ness flops onto the floor with a groan. "You know, you'd think that this whole  _we're-_ _dating_  thing would've at least let you take it easy on me. I mean-" Ness waves an arm, but he's out of energy that it comically flops to his side halfway up the arc. "Anyone who sees  _Link_  play against  _Zelda_  knows that  _Link_  lets her win, hands down-"

"Tell that to the villains who won't take it easy on you."

I don't even bat an eye when Ness gives me his best sad puppy dog face. He uses that face so often that it's shameless.

Still, when I crack open my water bottle, I ask, "...Do you want me to go easy on you?"

Ness considers this. "No," he says, jumping back onto his feet. "How did you read my recovery again?"

I hide a smile.

We bring out the best in each other.

We're strong, but we're stronger together.

Towards the end of our training, Ness haggles to raise the stakes on our last match. A sudden death, he says. Just for fun.

"If I win, you have to answer whatever question I ask. One question."

"You could ask me now-"

 _"No,"_  Ness says stubbornly, his face suddenly red. Okay then. His loss, not mine. "I'm gonna  _win,_  and you're gonna answer my question whether you like it or not."

"Then if I win, you're doing all the chores for the week," I say.

Ness grins. "Deal."

I PK Freeze him off stage.

"THAT WAS COMPLETE  _BOGUS!"_ Ness fumes when I laugh at his misfortune. "You freaking used a projectile, and on top of that,  _I wasn't ready, you massive jerk-"_

"You could've dodged," I suggest.

"That's not fair!"

"Well Ness, life isn't fair."

Ness jumps me and wrestles me into a headlock.

Still, when I agree to another rematch, Ness takes the win this time, smacking me out of the air with his baseball bat in a resounding KO.

"You're awfully persistent on winning all this for a question," I say when we walk out of the training room.

"It's an  _important_  question," Ness insists, tossing me a clean towel from the rack before wrapping one around his neck. As I wonder why the towels all smell like daisies, Robin hurries past us on his way to his own practice match against Bowser. "I'm done for the day. You got any matches after this?"

"Nope. You're my last."

"Awesome! Let's grab a drink. Choco milk's on me."

Despite my protests, Ness ignores me, swiping his card at the  _ **Hot &Cold**  **Drinks**  _vending machine on the 7th floor, and slamming two choco milks down on the bamboo chairs in the lobby. Poking my drink with a straw, I watch the steam rise and mist the glass doors of the two Bath entrances -  _separated by gender_  - behind the see-through Reception Desk. Above the transparent Receptionist Desk made of clouds, a yawning Wind Fish floats in place, serene and wise and calm while swimming without a care in the world. The steam glances off the ground in pearly white tendrils, mineral water condensing at the tips of the bamboo fountain and trickling down into the porous rocky floor between our shoes in a wisp of fog. With so many people and rooms in the Mansion, it's never occurred to me until now...  I've never stepped forth on this floor.

Everyone's busy brawling.

At most, we've got 30 minutes before someone's free.

Listening to what sounds like refreshing cold water gently trickling down soaked rocks, after a gross sweaty workout, a quick dip in one of the hot springs sounds like a really good idea.

Making up my mind, I stand up. "I think I'll take a quick soak."

Ness sputters into his milk. "...huh?" He says faintly.

"No one's around. I just want to check out one of the private hot springs in the back," I say, and Wind Fish -  _a giant whale deity_ \- slaps a key to the men's locker rooms into my hand with his swirling tail.

When Ness lingers behind awkwardly, fumbling a little before reaching Wind Fish, I feel his terrified thoughts flutter into my head, and wonder what bad experience he's had with hot springs.

He explains. "The last time I jumped into a hot spring, I was high on Saturn coffee. I heard _disembodied voices_ ," he says, looking horrified, and I crack a smile.

"No hallucinogens here. Just a quick dip. In, then out," I promise, and Ness breaks into a relieved sigh.

Unlike the standard dull gym lockers, the bath locker rooms are clean and brightly lit, their racks stocked to the ceiling with fluffy white towels and bathrobes of every size, their drawers stuffed with hair dryers and hair brushes and healing balms of every kind, all twenty glittering mirrors fogged up by their respective sinks. Not one to be embarrassed over modesty, Ness quickly strips his sweaty shirt and socks off, tossing them haphazardly into his locker, and I neatly stack my shoes into a shoe crate. I don't bother taking my own shirt off, because while neither of us brought fresh clothes, I only plan on soaking in for a few minutes. And though we've taken a bath together as kids after countless times rolling around in the playground mud, I guess it'd be weird to now. Definitely weird.

When Ness hops across the locker rooms, sliding open the other glass door to the spas, the steam lazily rolls over packaged soaps that leave behind the refreshing fragrance of cucumber and aloe. The smell of the steam alone sparks a feeling a deja vu.

I loved hot springs. Love.

I think I still do.

It's definitely a rare experience, having a whole floor to ourselves. While I sink to the bottom of a hot spring, counting how long I can hold my breath and feeling the fresh water wash over my face and the slippery tiles, Ness horseplays around, doing backstrokes and cannon-balling into every hot spring he can find with a  _whOOP!_ until he accidentally does a bellyflop into the "glacier-cold" spring. When he wails, his dignity lost, our empathy link throbbing with pain, I splash hot water into his face. Sputtering with a laugh, Ness breaks the surface, his wet hair plastered over his shut eyes.

At least he's having fun.

Time passes quicker when you have fun though, and the twenty minutes disappear in a blink. Soon, we're back in the locker rooms, drying our hair as fast as we can to avoid any awkward encounters with anyone new bursting in. I'm still untangling the knots from my dry hair when Ness's reflection tiptoes into view from my mirror. When something tickles across my scalp, I start with a violent jolt, instinctively ducking under the hair brush in Ness's hand.

Realizing his mistake, Ness backs away, meekly lowering his hairbrush, and my face burns from embarrassment. "Sorry," he mutters, his face red. "I-It's... I should've asked first."

I swallow down my nerves.

 _No one_  brushes my hair, except for me.

Not since my mom and brother died.

My throat constricts. "My mom used to brush my hair," I say quietly.

 _"Oh._  Fuck. I, uh. Sorry-" Looking ready to die of mortification, Ness edges away, but I reach for his hand and press his hairbrush into my hair.

"It's okay."

Ness hesitantly locks eyes, as if double checking, before running the brush into my hair again. Though he brushes my hair wrong, letting all the bangs stick out at every gravity-defying angle possible, he's got a practiced hand, surprisingly gentle with the strokes. He's done this before.

Ness clears his throat. "I used to brush my little sister's hair," he mumbles, catching onto my train of thought. "After my quest. It helped with the nightmares, when I thought I failed to save the world."

In response, I lean into his hairbrush.

Afterwards, I guess Ness still felt guilty about giving me a scare -  _even though it was an honest mistake_  - because sneaking under my notice, he buys me another round of chocolate milk from the vending machine, stubbornly wrapping my hand around one when I refuse.  _For later_ , he insists.  _If you don't want it now._  Eventually, I relent. Because while my stomach says  _no,_  my sweet tooth screams  _yes._

"I guess we tied our match," I comment underneath the stars, enjoying the taste of chocolate dancing on my tongue, and beside me on the patio of the penthouse, Ness enjoys his refreshment with gusto. "Does this mean you'll have to do our chores for the week?"

Ness almost coughs on his drink. "Chores? What chores?"

"The vacuum cleaner's all yours," is all I say with a smirk, and when Ness puffs up his cheeks, my smirk widens.

"Does this mean you'll have to answer my question?"

"I guess so. What do you want to ask me?"

"So- this was- and I'm just- okay, back up." Ness breathes in, before bursting into a nervous ramble. "I was just there in the lobby after a match, and the guys were- well you know, comparing swords- which is dumb as shit, because they do it all the time- and it suddenly made me curious-" Ness clamps his mouth shut. Taking his impulsive nature into account, whatever the question is, it must be  _something_  if he refuses to say it outright.

"I can read your mind if you'd prefer," I suggest before Ness blurts out at the same time,

"How big are you?"

I ponder over it. "Around... six three. Don't know what that translates to in meters-"

Ness turns red. "No, I mean like-" he gestures at my pants. "Your dick."

"Ness," I deadpan. "Of all the questions in your arsenal, of all my life's secrets at your disposal, out of everything and anything you could've possibly asked for, you cash in your win to ask me for the size of my dick."

"I'm just curious!" Ness flusters, now making me fluster too. "Don't tell me  _you_  haven't ever grabbed a ruler before 'cause you wanted to know how big you wer-"

"..."

"Oh right. You're like, asexual or something. You monster."

"I never got the point," I finally say. "Of measuring my dick with a ruler."

"There's a start for everything," Ness suggests.

"No."

"...Please?"

_"No."_

"Lucas, it's not like you've got anything I haven't seen before. Here, I'll show you mine if you show me yours-" When I pinch him in the nose for the ridiculous  _(reasonable,_  Ness clamors indignantly) offer, he squirms around in protest. "Okay, I'll take that as a  _no,"_  he says, cuddling up against my side with a happy, half-lidded smile. "Hey. I'll still love you even if you have a micropeen."

My face burns. "I do  _not_  have a micropeen."

 _"If_  you do."

"Ness, I'm not pulling out my dick just so you can measure it with a- _"_

"Protractor? Yard stick?"

Ness doubles over laughing when I bury my face into my hands. "Oh my god."

"Okay okay, I believe you. Really though. Jokes aside, I do wanna tell you something. Winter Formal. It's supposed to be a Masquerade Ball this year, but that's not the point." Ness sets his empty milk carton aside. "With Porky on the loose and everything... I'm planning on asking Paula to Winter Formal." Nervously, his eyes dart up to mine. "If you're okay with it."

I hesitate.

"I'm okay with it," I say carefully. "But I can't say that I'm a little uncomfortable about you going with someone who clearly has feelings for you."

"Paula?" Ness laughs. "We're just friends-"

"And that's what we said about each other the first time around." Ness looks hurt, but he knows that I'm right, and I know he knows because he doesn't argue. With a sigh, I fiddle around with my drink. "I know. You asked me to the dance first, and I declined because I wasn't ready. Still, you of all people should know that people don't get over their feelings easily. It takes time. Just because Paula's told you that you're friends doesn't necessarily mean that she's over you- and I don't want you to lose Paula as a friend. Because I know how much she means to you."

"You mean a lot to me too," Ness says stubbornly.

"Look, I really don't mind you asking Paula to Winter Formal. Especially since both of you faced Giygas and Porky before together. I know what you mean," I say honestly. "I only think you should keep all this in mind."

Ness gives me a look. "You sure?"

"Positive."

"Winter Formal's just really all for show. So if it makes you uncomfy, I don't mind asking someone else-"

_"Ness, ask her to the Formal."_

Ness breaks into a small smile. "Thanks," he says, scooting to my side. "But just so you know- I'm only looking forward to one dance that day, and it's not the one airing during the program."

"Someone shoot me," I groan. "Will there at least be free food at the banquet?"

"They've got caviar."

"Good. Wake me up when it's all over." When Ness opens his arms for a cuddle, a hopeful grin on his face, I make a face and scoot away. "Bad.  _Away."_

"Hey!" Undeterred for affection, Ness dives over and struggles to wrestle me into a headlock. "C'me back here, you weenie! Submit to the cuddles-"

_"Nooo-"_

"Caviar, Lucas. Think of the  _FREE CAVIAR_."

"Help, Ness's mom! Your son's peer-pressuring me-"

" _Lemme love you, dammit!"_

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

.

"Lucas, you've-a lost weight."

"I eat enough."

"That's-a good," Dr. Mario says kindly. "I can see that most of your body mass is-a muscle, but your ribs are much more pronounced than I'd like them to be at this time of year. I know-a wrestlers tend to starve themselves until the week before a competition to stay within a weight class for their brawl, and everyone here does too, but not at-a this pace. You might have-a trouble gaining weight because you're an ectomorph, and because you've been growing, but you're an athlete. Make sure to eat your fill."

I give into a helpless shrug. I don't starve myself. I  _do_  eat as much as I want.

Yet, Dr. Mario's frown deepens. "And while not a serious problem, your iron levels are-a much lower than I'd like as well. Have you-a been taking your iron pills?"

"...no."

When Dr. Mario gives me a look of disapproval, I hate that a part of my guilty conscious twinges. I pride myself on my self-care. My dad's drilled that lesson plenty of times into my head. Because if you don't care for yourself, no one else will. And while I hate the taste of my iron pills, between saving the little expenses and paying off the last of Porky's debt, it's hard to justify spending my pocket cash on medicine I don't need versus extra food on my plate. My anemia's neither fatal nor serious.

I can live without my iron pills.

I can't live without food.

...Why is earning money so hard.

Maybe I should double-duty. Get another undercover part-time job that rakes in enough cash to cover Porky's stupid debt in one swoop. A bartender maybe. Or a stripper. Can boys even  _BECOME_  strippers? Nevermind, I don't want to know.

"A stripper?!" Ness tears up from laughing when he wakes me up next morning. "What the ever-loving fuck, Lucas. Are you half-asleep?"

"Apparently Dr. Mario thinks I look like an anorexic freak, so I'd blend in perfectly."

"I'd hate to be a stripper," Ness says, choosing now of all times to be reasonable. "They deal with worse harassment than us. And their hours are pretty fucking terrible for what they have to go through-  _your alarm's going off again, Lucas. Wake up_ -"

Well, I refuse. I pull my pillow over my face. "Don't wake me up for work today. Don't wake me up. Ever. I'm allergic to work."

"You might be a skinny bastard, but you're not an anorexic freak," Ness says helpfully.

"Guh away. I hate life."

Unable to speak and shaking from mirth, Ness tickles me awake.

Still, my pride takes another hit when Marth points out my frail frame.

"Lucas," Marth says with a concerned frown when we finish another grueling Japanese sentence that's turned my brain into mush. "You grow skinnier every time I see you... Have you been eating lately?"

I show him my packed lunch.

A pause. "Ah, I did not mean to be rude. The question arose more from an area of concern than malice," Marth says gently. "As a good King must not only be responsible for their subjects, but also carry their peoples' needs above their own, I've been told I have an eye for detail."

My face burns. "Sorry," I mumble. "I promise, I  _have_  been eating. But speaking of your people... I want to ask you a question."

"Oh?"

"How did you earn the trust of your people?"

"I did not."

"Lucina calls you the Hero King."

"She does. But though Lucina is supportive, there's nothing you can do to make everyone to like you. Some of my policies during my reign were highly unpopular. For one-" Marth's smile drips with dry humor. "I let my beloved sister lead my coronation."

I blink. "Is that bad?"

"Back in my time? Yes. All woman are forbidden from attending the coronation of the future King. Moreover, women of the royal lineage are forbidden to take reign in the monarchy, and upon marriage, lose their royal status." When I look stunned, Marth gives into a weary laugh. "My time is very... different from here. I hear that things have progressed better in Chrom's time, but Lucina has many obstacles in her path if she wants to become Queen."

"Is this why Chrom...?"

"Yes, and no. It is a complicated matter, and while Chrom treasures his own daughter, he is very..." Marth pauses again, searching for the right word. "Traditional."

"But for the most part, your people love you."

"I do my best, but there will always be dissenters," Marth's voice turns solemn. "As you know, the second Master Hand pulled us into this tournament, his presence alone changed each and every one of our timelines, splitting it into many alternate universes. In  _my current_  timeline, as you can see, I am alive and well so far. But in an alternate universe - _in Lucina's_  - she's told me many rumors about how my reign ended. The most popular adage says I passed away in my sleep from old age. But another one, which comes from an old yet trusted source-" Marth's eyes turn dark. "-says that I died on the blade of an honorable traitor named Camus. My decisions were unpopular, Lucas, and though it is not bad to want to please others, it is so at the cost of your own morals. Thankfully, you are still young, and -  _hopefully!_  - will never bear the weight of a crown on your head, but I believe this marks as a good lesson as any. Popularity for popularity's sake is as fleeting as a sprout in winter snow, while popularity that follows the righteous lingers like a sturdy cherry blossom over many seasons. Do you not agree?"

At the very least, my answer satisfies Marth's worries, his smile turning soft, and we start the lesson.

An hour a day.

While it's not much, I still try to squeeze out this much time for Marth's Japanese lessons. Not so much a standard classroom lesson as a bootcamp, Marth proves himself a ruthless tutor, jumping straight to the jugular and engaging me in conversation, only breaking down sentences when I blankly stare at him like he's spouting  _Shyriiwook._  Sticking strictly to his native tongue anytime within this hour slot, every time I accidentally slip up, speaking English out of sheer habit, Marth gives me a knowing smile, pretending not to understand me until I respond appropriately in kind.

I thought I'd forgotten the language entirely, especially with my mom's passing, but as Marth guessed to his delight, my mom's early language lessons must've ingrained itself somewhere in my mind. While I still struggle over vocabulary beyond  _Thank you_  and  _Goodbye_ , the pronunciation comes much more naturally, and the grammar grows easier to pick up.

 _Reading_  and  _Writing_  Japanese is a different story, but that'll come at their own pace. Based on Duster's talk of the other Tazmily Villagers and their false, less-than-welcoming impression of me as a  _snobby rich_   _upstart_ , something tells me that learning how to speak my mom's native language would earn their respect, and in turn, earn their help in regaining our memories from the Egg of Light.

But when I arrive in Tazmily Village that afternoon, jogging past the Sunshine Shrine and ducking under the naked cherry blossom trees, I find an unexpected sight.

Unwanted graffiti.

Someone vandalized my mom's grave.

With a sponge and a bucket of water from the Tazmily well, I spend a good hour scrubbing the blotchy-red spray-painted  ** _MILF_**  off her headstone. There are new sunflowers here too -  _not mine_  - but I clear those too because someone's purposefully torn their petals apart and trampled on them.

Not long after, my grandfather - finding me kneeling by mom's grave - grabs me urgently by the arm.

"Don't drink the water!"

"I didn't," I say, startled stupid by his sudden bellow. "What happened?"

"Whassat?" he says, frowning, and I repeat my answer louder so that he can hear. His shoulders sag with relief when he sees me all right. "Good, avoid the well. Some of the villagers got sick."

"From the water?"

"Worse. Someone's poisoned the well."

With my frantic grandfather at my heels, I race to the village center. Most of the villagers are already there, some green-faced while groaning on their sides and clutching their stomachs.

Clearly in the middle of a shout-fest, a bird-eyed old man with a sharp chin barks out against an angry mob of villagers. "It's not my son!"

 _"Duster the thief, Duster the thief-"_  the mob chants in broken English.

"You all damn know my son didn't poison our well," the old man -  _Wess_ ,  _Duster's dad,_  my grandfather helpfully points out to me - snaps, shaking a fist. "I told you, Jackie saw someone creep in last night-"

"But your family masters in the thief arts... and Duster dropped by to visit yesterday," another one of the villagers pipes up nervously. "All he drank was his bottled water-"

"Because he didn't want to waste his half-full bottle, you dimwit!"

"...and he left early this morning, didn't he?"

"Well yes, he did-"

"So your son knew that the well was poisoned! He did it!  _Duster the thief-_ "

"Shut your trap, Butch! You accuse my son one more time and I'll-" Wess switches rapidly to Japanese, more at home in his native tongue, and another heated argument breaks out.

Amidst all the chaos,  _tall-as-a-house Leder_  watches the argument unfold without a word.

Enough is enough, so I take the initiative. "How many people are sick?" I say, and in an unnerving swivel to silence, all the villagers stare at me, their eyes immediately distrustful.

When their lack of answer persists, Alec firmly steps forward. "You heard my grandson-" Another switch to Japanese.

Reluctantly, the villagers answer, and my grandfather translates their answer for me.

"Seven," he mutters, dispersing the mob with his hand and shooting a cowering Butch a dark look. "And believe me, I don't think it's Duster who poisoned the well."

"So do I," I agree.

"...Alec?" A middle-aged woman in an old butterscotch yellow dress embroidered with daisies catches our attention. Upon seeing me, her eyes widen in surprise, slightly misting over. "Is this...?"

Puffing his chest up proudly, Alec pats me in the back. "Yes. Tessie, this is my youngest grandson."

Tentatively, Tessie reaches for my awkwardly hunched shoulders, drinking me in and staring at my face like she's never seen me before. "-Oh. Oh my, look at you. You've grown so  _tall_." Dazed from nostalgia, Tessie breaks into a wide smile. "You've got your father's eyes. And your mother's hands-" she marvels, enviously lifting each of my fingers. "Your family is so fortunate. Hinawa had the prettiest hands of the village, but your father had a wonderful pair himself. Nice and strong-" When I shuffle around in place, embarrassed, Tessie laughs. "But underneath all the grit of growing up, I see that you're still the same kind, gentle child at heart. Welcome home, Lucas."

"Tessie is the nurse of the village." Alec offers, glowing from each of her compliments as if they were meant for him, and the sight of him happy makes me feel warm inside. "She speaks best English. Let her help you."

Determined, Tessie nods, her sweaty hair sticking to her forehead. "We're on our own, Lucas. I've tried calling for a doctor in the city, but all of their appointments are booked-"

We go over all of Tessie's home remedies. Though she's grabbed some advil and supplies from the nearest pharmacy, whatever's poisoned the well must be deadly, because nothing seems to work against such a fast-acting toxin. During these few hours, all the sick villagers grows worse at an alarming rate. Throwing up and breaking out into fevers, their lips turn cracked and parched even as we squeeze wet rags over the hives on their faces. Frustrated by the lack of a cure, I try to conjure a healing spell, but as I predict - none of my healing spells work in Smash City. With Master Hand out of town for the week and my powers limited, my options to treat the villagers dwindle to one hope.

Thankfully, Rosalina's in the Mansion when I burst into the lobby, clutching the stitches in my side.

"Lucas-" she begins, surprised, before I gasp.

"People... sick. Poisoned. Need Peach."

Beaming, Rosalina gladly offers me her fruit, and I shake my head, repeating my request.

Rosalina ponders. "Peach the person? Oh! She is not here. But-" Rosalina smiles. "I can guide you to her garden! If we're lucky, she might be there."

"Thank you, Rosalina. You're a hero," I say weakly, and Luma pats me on the back with a happy dolphin chirp.

Unlocking the backdoor, Rosalina leads me through the grounds, and feeling like my lungs are emptied of air, I do my best to keep up.

A precious engagement gift from Mario, Peach's  _Garden of the Queens_  is the magnificent stereotype of Disney Princess dreams. The grass pulsates with a healthy vibrant green glow, and the roses are so delightfully red that their relaxing perfume alone makes me sleepy. Nearby, dotted with stray pollen, a bumblebee lazily wiggles its fluffy butt around within the rose petals, falling victim to the throes of slumber. There's a hidden magic here in the peach's pollen - a magic that catches any intruder to the garden unawares. I can hear its magic as it whispers its music into my ears, brushing through the air like the strings of a harp.

 _Sleep, child_ , the wind whispers.

 _You must be exhausted,_  the flowers whisper.

 _Close your eyes,_ _sunflower,_  the tree whispers.

My eyelids feel unusually heavy. I'm tempted to curl up and take a quick nap, and almost do until Rosalina gently taps me on the head with her wand.

"I'm sorry, Lucas. I have forgotten the effect this garden has on mortals," Rosalina apologizes when I try to blink the sleep from my eyes. With a droopy bob, Luma gives a low chirp before falling flat on his face like a drunk shooting star, face-planting into the grass with a  _puff_  of sparkles, and covering a yawn herself, Rosalina sleepily amends, "...and immortals. How strange. Peach should be here... Lucas, fret not - Stay here."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

_"Shit! My glove's on fire!"_

_"Stop, drop, and roll-"_

_"It's good, Duster. I stamped it out. Did Boney revive Lucas?"_

_"I think so."_ A dog's whimper. A wet snout pokes my cheek. " _Boney. Easy, boy. He's okay."_ The snout recedes.

 _"That was some wicked healing back there, Lucas."_ A shake of the shoulder. A cheeky grin on a sooty face.  _"How're you hanging, pal?"_

The taste acrid smoke refuses to leave my nose. I cough and wipe the soot from my cheek, trying to stand up, but someone pushes me back down.

_"Lucas, hold on. Kumatora, did you...?"_

_**"YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW SO SEW SO-SoO-"** _

A blur of flaming pink hair. " _Yep, I busted it up."_

**_"THE NUMBER YOU HAVE DIALED IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PORK CHOPS FROM EAST TO WEST IT GOES GOES BROKEN BROKEN OH SO SOW SEW BROKEN-"_ **

An ear-rattling explosion. The ground shakes. Hot bolts rain out of sight. Clatter. Tinker. Clink.

_"Geez, Lucas. I hope getting your hands on that equip was worth all this trouble."_

_"Well, Kuma... You accidentally brushed against the glass case first."_

Embarrassment.  _"Shuddup, Duster."_

I remember. Inside the broken glass case. 

Something happy red tucked on a velvet pillow.

Gingerly, I take out  _happy red_  by the spool of string.

Kumatora's complaint.  _"That's it? A yo-yo? Wow, Porky **sure**  has his priorities straight. I mean, I'd totally hire a bodyguard to guard a cheap knockoff toy over I dunno, all of Thunder Tower-"_

The background shifts. My vision flickers, as if watching a black-and-white movie from afar.

Someone else speaks.

_"...miss you."_

_"See. It's not so hard, is it?"_

_"No."_

A smile tinged with sadness. Hands, warm and soft, cup my palms tighter around his old yo-yo.

My chest aches. I've never been good with goodbyes.

His mouth moves, finishing the last words of his sentence.  _"... **Best friend's yo-yo.** "_

.

~oO0Oo~

.

_**Lucas.** _

_**...** _

_**Do you remember me?** _

_**...** _

_**It looks like you've gotten your head handed to you.** _

_**...** _

_**It must have all been just a bad dream.** _

_**...** _

_**You've forgotten about your quest.** _

_**...** _

_**You've forgotten who you are.** _

_**...** _

_**When you regain your memories, seek me in the world you left behind and wake me from my slumber.** _

_**...** _

_**I'll be waiting.** _

_**...** _

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

I don't know how long I've fallen asleep.

But the instant I wake under a thick hand-knitted quilt blanket to a worried Peach at Rosalina's side, I realize in horror. Too long. Far too long. As a relieved Peach hands over a basket full of her magic peaches, breaking into a flustered lecture for "falling prey to the dangerous magic of her singing garden", I have the sense to be internally chastised, promising to be more careful next time. According to Rosalina, not long after I nodded off in the magic garden, I wouldn't wake.

"-compensation for my peaches? Bless your heart, but heavens no! Lucas, I don't want  _anything_  in return," Peach says, flabbergasted, before pushing me to my feet. "Now go help your sick friends. Goodness me, my singing garden and its magic, I  _swear-_ "

As I thank them a last time for their help  _(Peach fusses over me, and Rosalina beams),_  Rosalina waves her sparking wand in a graceful  _S_ , and a launch star materializes from thin air.

"Tuck in your arms at your sides," she encourages, before shooting me across the sky like a cannon.

After a nerve-wrecking dive under the Milky Way, clutching onto the basket of peaches and making sure none of them tumble out, I land tipsily on my feet by the Sunshine Shrine. Clamoring for my grandfather, I take off towards Tazmily Square for the cluster of sick villagers-

They aren't there.

Happy laughter and music greet me first when I dash into the town square. Wheezing for air, I accidentally bump into a couple dancing by the well, spilling the basket and dropping two of Peach's peaches. Looking as if he'd never been poisoned in the first place, the irritated man I bumped into shoos me off, hiccupping up a storm, and bewildered, all I can do is stand in place fumbling with my basket of peaches. That man and his wife... Matt and Jill. They were sick. Just two hours ago, neither could crawl an inch without throwing up.

What's going on?

"My grandson-!" Alec claps me in the back, and I'm relieved when he saves me from wandering around hopelessly lost. "You didn't have to come back! I tried the calling you on the  _boop-ons_ , but you wouldn't pick up."

"Oh-" I crouch down to pick up the fallen peaches. They're bruised, but not too badly. "Sorry, I didn't notice-"

"That's okay," he affirms, affectionately ruffling my hair. "Thank  _you_  for helping. Luckily, it looks like the problem's been solved."

"How?"

With a frown, Alec rubs his chin in thought. "Another man arrived right after you left. Portly fellow. Sold us some pills, and said it'd make us all feel better. Happier, even. He encouraged the healthy to try them too, if they so wanted. To protect themselves against the evil spirit of the well." His brows crease slightly in disbelief. "Can you believe that, Lucas? Pills that make you happier?  _Happy Happy Pills._  But they worked! The sick villagers are sick no more."

Happy Happy Pills.

A chill travels down my spine. "Did this person say his name?" I say slowly.

"Hmm... did he? Ah, yes he did! I remember now. What a ridiculous name he called himself." Alec straightens his horn-rimmed glasses, and his frown deepens into a grim line.  _"The Great Porky Minch."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -In short, Romeo and Juliet laws are laws present in certain countries(?) and American states that are supposed to govern a relationship where the two consenting parties are minors. 
> 
> -The first names of the OC children in the beginning of the chapter are taken from two of my favorite sorcerers: Circe from Greek mythology, and Nicholas from the famous Nicholas Flamel.
> 
> -In the Pokemon franchise (Games: HeartGold and SoulSilver), Gold (or Lyra, depending on the gender of your avatar) can challenge Red at Mt Silver. With Red's leveled up Pokemon, it's arguably the hardest battle of the game.
> 
> -In the Pokemon franchise, sources cite that a Charizard's tail flame reflects a Charizard's health. When the tail flame dies, so does the Charizard.
> 
> -From the Metroid franchise, Adam Malkovich is Samus's former commanding officer in the Galactic Federation. He lost his life in Metroid: Other M, after sacrificing himself in a mission. Though swearing not to grieve over his loss, Samus thinks of him fondly as a father figure.
> 
> -Peach's Peach garden is a reference to her Ultimate Smash (all fighters temporarily fall asleep while she summons peaches that heal a player's damage counter).
> 
> -In this fic, Marth's rules regarding women in the royal family are loosely based off of Japanese monarchy in real life. These same rules that applied to women include forbidding women to seize the throne, and (until recently) forbidding women from participating in the royal coronation. Considering how close Elice was to Marth, I don't see him conforming to this tradition, making Marth highly unusual. Moreover, any woman of the royal family - upon marriage - is considered to have "left" the royal family, hereby losing their status as a royal.
> 
> -From the Fire Emblem series, Camus is a man who serves as one of Marth's main antagonists. Camus is described to be an honorable, patriotic man who would do anything for his country, and while he is painted as a noble character, I can also see circumstances forcing Camus to assassinate Marth in an AU where Camus is left with no choice but to do so.
> 
> -In Mother 3, The Friend's Yo-Yo can be an awesome equip for Lucas, guarded by and (implied) treasured heavily by Porky Minch. The Friend's Yo-Yo is widely speculated to have been Ness's before Porky's untimely possession.
> 
> -In Mother 3, though Sunflowers played a main theme throughout the game, representing Hinawa's favorite flowers and Hinawa herself, Hinawa's second-favorite flowers were Tazmily Gerberas. Gerberas love to grow in slightly moist soil, and share the same Genus as daisies.
> 
> -In Mother 3, Lucas and his party commonly healed up in Hot Springs. In contrast to censorship of nudity in Western culture, where nudity is often associated with sex, Public baths are highly popular in South-eastern Asian cultures, including Japan and Korea (though now regarded with rising suspicion in modern times due to the rise of smart phones), where people go to relax and bathe. As a parallel to South-Eastern Asian culture, the Ancient Romans also had public baths of different temperatures, most notably the cold bath (frigidarium), lukewarm bath (tepidarium), and hot bath (caldarium).
> 
> -In Mother 3, Duster is accused of stealing money from a villager (Butch, specifically) in earlier chapters, because of his family's reputation in the "thief skills."
> 
> -In Mother 3, the modernization of Tazmily and Porky's slow ascent to power were first attributed to Happy Boxes, items that resemble TVs. Among Porky's people was a crafty salesman named Fassad, who cleverly tricked some (and eventually, almost all) of the Tazmily villagers via persuasion and fearmongering into buying happy boxes. Over time, the villagers turned against Lucas and his family, speaking ill of them for being "unhappy", and for refusing to be happy despite the fact that Lucas lost both his mom and brother.
> 
> -In Mother 3, previous players have joked that the engraving on Hinawa's gravestone coincidentally resembles the lettering, MILF.


End file.
